Biodegradable

Italian researchers have created a novel 4D-printed biodegradable 'seed robot' that changes shape in response to changes in humidity and can navigate through the soil. The device has great potential as a new way of monitoring the environment.

While reusing cutlery is always better than discarding it, most people aren't going to be packing a knife and fork whenever they grab some fast food. Scientists have thus designed a plant-and-wood-based material that dissolves once broken apart.

Even though glass is praised for being fully recyclable, the EPA states that only about a third of discarded glass items actually get recycled. With that problem in mind, scientists have developed a new type of glass which is biodegradable.

Whether their stripes are to deter predators, cool down their bodies on hot days or make it hard for horseflies to land and bite, the zebra's appearance is an ongoing fascination for scientists. Now, their style has been adapted in a novel way.

While there are already a variety of implants that dispense medication within the body, most of them either can't be externally controlled, or they eventually have to be surgically removed. A new one, however, uses light to avoid both problems.

Although disposable plastic straws are being phased out, their "greener" replacements have a few shortcomings of their own. Well, scientists have now developed bioplastic straws that don't get soggy, but do biodegrade when discarded.

Plastics are made to last, which is great while they’re being used but not so great after they’re discarded. Chemists have now developed a new kind of plastic that has all the durability of regular plastic, but biodegrades within months or even days.

The leads that connect external pacemakers to the heart can potentially cause problems, either if they're removed or left in place. German scientists are therefore developing an alternative, in the form of leads that get absorbed by the body.

Among other things, mushrooms have been put forth as eco-friendly alternatives to leather and expanded foam packaging. According to a new study, they might also find use in biodegradable electronic devices.

If you've ever been turning over your compost heap and found months-old "compostable" plastic items that were still mostly intact – well, you're not alone. New research states that 60% of such plastics don't fully degrade in home composting systems.

Single-use, single-serve coffee "pods" are definitely not eco-friendly, which is why refillable pods have been created. Swiss company CoffeeB is taking a different approach, however, with its fully compostable Coffee Balls.

Old electronics are tricky to recycle, meaning they clog up landfills while locking valuable metals away. Now scientists have demonstrated printed circuits that can be degraded on demand, returning their materials to reusable forms.