Plastics

The latest findings around the impacts of plastic on the human body center on liver and lung cells, which lab research has shown can ingest nano-scale plastic particles and undergo metabolic changes as a result.

Engineers at UIC have developed a device that can efficiently convert captured carbon dioxide into ethylene, a plastic precursor material. When run using renewable energy, the technique could make for net negative emissions in plastic production.

Scientists have turned plastic into diamonds. Using high-powered lasers, the team zapped samples of common PET plastic, which produces intense heat and pressure to form tiny diamonds that may naturally rain down on planets like Uranus and Neptune.

Although polylactic acid bioplastic is known for its biodegradability, it can take a long time to degrade if the conditions aren't right. Washington State University scientists have therefore devised a way of upcycling it into a 3D-printing resin.

Scientists experimenting with next-generation plastics at Finland's University of Turku have developed a self-healing form of the material with some impressive capabilities, most notably an ability to quickly break down after use.

Microplastics are a major environmental problem, but a new study could help cut out a decent chunk of them. Silk could be a biodegradable replacement for microbeads and particles that are often added to cosmetics, paints and other products.

Plastics are tough, which is great when in use but not so good in the environment. Scientists have developed a new PET-like plastic derived from waste plant matter that can be chemically recycled or degrade into harmless sugars in the environment.

Scientists have created a new form of bioplastic that offers stability during use and exciting upcycling potential, relying on a vanilla bean extract to self-destruct on command in response to a specific wavelength of light.

The ongoing discovery of microplastics in remote, seemingly pristine corners of the world continues to add important detail to a troubling picture of widespread pollution, and the latest finding takes the threat into new terrain.

We need to get creative with recycling. In a new study, researchers at Rice University and Ford’s Research and Innovation Center have demonstrated how waste plastic from old cars could be used to make graphene foam that can then be used in new cars.

Scientists are continuing to uncover the true extent of our plastic pollution problem, and the latest development in this area offers up the first evidence of plastic particles being absorbed into the human bloodstream.

While all non-recyclable plastics aren't very eco-friendly, expanded polystyrene foam is particularly problematic, as it's bulky and often used in disposable packaging. It could be replaced by a new biodegradable material, however, made from sawdust.