Scientists Discover Fastest-Degrading Bioplastic

For years, researchers at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) in the United States have been investigating the lifespans of different types of plastics in the ocean, identifying those with the shortest and longest durations. They have also been studying which plastic products, such as straws and food packaging, are most likely to contribute to plastic pollution. With the development of more biodegradable materials like cellulose diacetate (CDA), a plastic-like polymer derived from wood pulp, researchers are striving to ensure that these materials can replace traditional plastics without harming marine ecosystems.

After years of testing, WHOI researchers have found that adding small pores, known as "foaming", to CDA materials can accelerate their degradation rate by 15 times compared to solid CDA. This innovation has made foamed CDA the fastest degrading bioplastic material in seawater known to date, even surpassing paper. This groundbreaking discovery was recently published in the Acs Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering journal.

The study monitored foamed CDA and solid CDA in seawater within WHOI's specially designed laboratory, while controlling environmental variables such as temperature and light to simulate natural marine conditions.

In a previous study, researchers used their dynamic seawater tank to test various items, including standard plastics, paper, solid CDA, and foamed CDA-made straws. They observed that the solid CDA straws and paper straws exhibited the most rapid decrease in quality. Comparing two CDA-made straws—one solid and the other foamed—scientists found that the foamed straw degraded 190% faster, indicating a shorter environmental lifespan compared to paper straws.

The authors of the research emphasize that one of the most urgent applications for foamed CDA is to replace polystyrene foam plastics and single-use plastics.