Plastic, a material as versatile as it is problematic, seems to have found its Achilles' heel. Or rather, scientists created it to measure for him. By introducing spores of "plastic-eating" bacteria into its structure, they have created a new type of material: resistant and durable during use, but capable of self-destructing once it ends up in landfill.
My dears, this is an innovation that could really represent a great turning point: and once again it comes from a certain "biomimicry" (my obsession).
A creative solution to a pressing problem
Plastic pollution, I have told you about it a thousand times, is one of the most urgent environmental challenges that humanity is facing. This material has entered every nook and cranny of our daily lives, and now we can no longer get rid of itIndeed, it continues to accumulate.
In a study published in Nature Communications. (I link it here) a team of researchers has developed a surprising approach to address this problem: incorporating the mechanism for its biodegradation into the plastic itself.
Super heat resistant spores
The first obstacle to overcome was to find a way for bacterial spores to survive the high temperatures necessary for the production of plastic. As the research team explains, “the high heat used to produce the plastic would kill most bacterial spores.”
Most of them, yeah. But not all. The researchers genetically modified the bacteria bacillus subtilis, making them capable of withstanding temperatures up to 135°C. The results? They were impressive: 96-100% of the modified bacteria survived the plastic processing temperature, compared to only 20% of unmodified bacteria.
Rapid and effective biodegradation
Once this obstacle was overcome, the team tested the effectiveness of the bacteria in decomposing the plastic. The spores, embedded in the material in concentrations up to 1% of the weight of the plastic, are activated by the moisture and nutrients present in the soil once the product ends up in landfill.
Even in this case the results speak clearly: the bacteria they decomposed over 90% of the material within five months of being buried in the compost. An extraordinarily rapid biodegradation process for a material which normally takes decades or centuries to decompose.
Stronger and more resistant thanks to the spores
The real surprise of this innovation is that the incorporation of bacterial spores does not weaken the plastic, on the contrary. Tests have shown that plastic made from spores it was up to 37% more resistant and showed a tensile strength up to 30% higher compared to regular TPU.
The researchers hypothesize that the spores act as a reinforcing filler, improving the mechanical properties of the material.
A scalable technique for a more sustainable future
The research team highlights that this potentially scalable technique could open up new avenues for disposing of non-recyclable TPUs, while making them more resistant and durable in use. As highlighted in the study,
By combining this method with other techniques, we could make significant progress towards solving the problem of plastic pollution.
Once again nature itself, with its ability to adapt, shows us the path to follow. It is up to us to grasp these ideas and translate them into concrete actions to build a better tomorrow.
