Israeli Researchers at Tel Aviv University May Have Found a Solution to One of the World’s Worst Pollutants—Plastic

Researchers at Tel Aviv University have found a solution to one of the world’s worst pollutants—plastic. Not only does plastic take hundreds of years to break down, but it is made from petroleum and releases harmful chemical contaminants as it degrades into the environment. Tel Aviv University’s Porter School of Environmental and Earth Sciences and the School of Chemistry collaborated to develop a new biodegradable plastic from a polymer derived from marine microorganisms. This substitute for traditional plastic is completely recyclable into organic waste and is produced without the need for land or scarce fresh water like other bioplastics. This new technique could be a promising solution to one of the world’s biggest environmental problems. The findings were published in the journal, Bioresource Technology.