Microplastics

Polymers
 Circular Economy, Features, Litter, Microplastics, Packaging Design, Plastic

Biodegradable plastics designed to disappear naturally

Scientists at Rutgers University have developed a new class of plastics that can be programmed to break down under ordinary conditions, offering a potential way to reduce the long-term environmental impact of traditional synthetic materials. The idea first struck chemist Yuwei Gu during a hike through Bear Mountain State Park in New York. Confronted by plastic litter in a pristine landscape, he wondered why natural polymers such as DNA, RNA, proteins and cellulose eventually degrade, yet synthetic plastics do not. The answer, he realised, lay in their chemical structure. Read More
Fieldtech
 Latest News, Microplastics, Plastic, Recycing/reusing

Transparency needed with recycled plastic content claims

By Dr Ross Headifen, Biogone Transparency needs to be at the forefront of any conversation when it comes to claims about recycled plastic content in products – especially as we start along the journey of moving to a circular economy. With the emphasis on incorporating recycled materials into plastic products intensifying, it is essential to avoid confusing or misleading claims that could affect end users. Read More
Microplastics, Opinion, Plastics

Simple method to measure microplastic concentration

Current techniques for measuring nano/ microplastic (N/MP) concentrations in soil require the soil organic matter content to be separated and have limited resolution for analysing N/MPs sized <1 µm. Researchers have developed a simple method to measure N/MP concentration in different soil types using spectroscopy at two wavelengths. This method does not require the soil to be separated in order to detect the N/MPs and can accurately quantify N/MPs regardless of their size. Read More