Researchers Develop Self-Destructing 'Living Plastic' That Breaks Down in Days
Researchers have developed a new type of "living plastic" that can self-destruct without leaving harmful microplastics behind. The material uses engineered bacteria that, when activated, work to completely break down the material in approximately six days.
Traditional plastics can take hundreds of years to degrade and often fragment into microplastics, which accumulate in ecosystems and have raised growing health concerns. This new approach represents a fundamentally different strategy for addressing plastic waste.
The engineered bacteria embedded in the material are programmed to begin the breakdown process when triggered, completely decomposing the plastic into non-harmful components. This could offer a viable alternative for single-use applications where collection and recycling have traditionally proven difficult.