A new ideal material has been developed: it's incredibly durable yet fully biodegradable in seawater.

Since humanity invented the first plastic over 150 years ago, this material has literally taken over the planet: tiny particles of microplastics have already been found in water, soil, air, the breath of dolphins, and even in our own bodies. Now, it seems that scientists have made a breakthrough in this field by creating a durable material that leaves no microplastic waste in seawater, as reported by IFLScience.

Researchers have announced the development of an entirely new material that combines durability with complete recyclability. It is known that this new type of plastic also breaks down in seawater and soil if disposed of properly.

The scale of garbage patches is relentlessly increasing across all of Earth's oceans. Meanwhile, microplastics, which form from the breakdown of larger plastic items, are appearing in many alarming regions of the Earth. Unfortunately, we still do not fully understand how microplastics affect living organisms, including ourselves, but scientists believe that even if they pose no direct threat, they are likely a source of other undesirable substances.

Despite all efforts to combat plastic pollution, humanity has yet to responsibly dispose of plastic items. Recycling programs for plastic waste are also largely ineffective, addressing only a small part of the problem. In the past, scientists have also found that a vast amount of plastic waste is not properly recycled and instead decays in landfills.

In a new study, a team of scientists from the RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science combined two monomers with salt bridges between them. Each monomer can be easily consumed by bacteria, and indeed, one of them—sodium hexametaphosphate—is a common food additive that has been found to be harmless to animals in extensive testing.

According to co-author of the study, Professor Takuzo Aida from the University of Tokyo, the connections between the monomers are based on reversible interactions, which led scientists to believe that they would be able to break down when necessary, allowing each to safely absorb into the environment.

Mixing the ingredients produced two immiscible liquids and displaced sodium sulfate. After the salt was removed and the thicker liquid dried, it transformed into plastic, which the team named alkyl SP2. The bridges holding the monomers together are stable unless exposed to salts commonly found in seawater, in which case the products of alkyl SP2 completely break down within a few hours.

The team states that alkyl SP2, like most other thermoplastics, can be modified at a temperature of 120°C. Its advantage also lies in its non-toxicity, and the hardness of the material can be adjusted according to requirements by selecting from a range of candidates for the second monomer. A small test allowed for the extraction of over 80% of the ingredients during recycling using a combination of alcohol and saltwater.

A series of tests were also conducted, which showed that the material biodegrades in soil within 10 days if plastic items do not enter the ocean.