3 inventions that will help to curb plastic pollution 

We all know that plastic pollution is rising alarmingly and wreaking havoc on our ecosystem. Natural water bodies continue to suffer significantly from plastic contamination. How often have we heard about poor turtles and fish trapped in plastic in the ocean? Innovators have come up with three genuinely out-of-the-box inventions to combat these issues. Keep reading to find out what they are!  

A bacterium that eats plastic 
In 2022, a study on 29 lakes in Scandinavia revealed that certain naturally existing bacteria prefer plastic leftovers to organic material like leaves and twigs for growth. This means that adding them to the water might aid in eliminating plastic pollution. The study also found that a mere 4% increase in the total carbon content of lake water due to plastic pollution more than doubled the growth rate of these bacteria. These findings imply that plastic pollution may enhance the entire food chain in lakes since more bacteria mean more food for larger species, such as fish and ducks. Are there any other such discoveries? Let’s find out! 

In 2020, German scientists discovered a bacterium that attacks the chemical bonds in polyurethane, a plastic used for goods such as sports shoes, mechanical parts and synthetic fibres. According to Dr. Hermann J. Heipieper, the head scientist at the Helmholtz Institute for Environmental Research-UFZ (Germany), bacteria utilize the components of this plastic as a source of energy. 

Fun fact: The plastic-eating microbe was initially found in the garbage where polyurethane was being dumped. 

Environment-friendly plastic bottles  
Can plastics be designed to maintain their valuable properties while being more easily recyclable? Well, you might be aware of the fact that plastics are made of polymers. A polymer consists of long chains of one or more basic chemical units known as monomers. Polymers with high crystallinity (hardness) and water resistance are frequently used to make plastics because they are mechanically solid and stable.  

Recycling such plastic and recovering the basic units requires a lot of energy. Also, the process of breaking down polymers that escape into the environment is slow. So, Stefan Mecking, a chemist at the University of Konstanz in Germany, and his research team introduced the chemical ‘breaking points’ into their new plastic in 2022. This chemical would ensure that the plastic degrades faster and doesn’t require much energy.   

Also, Mecking and his team discovered a new plastic, Polyester-2,18, which exhibited both mechanical strength and thermal resistance. However, it also had an additional, surprising property. Tests in the lab using natural enzymes and those conducted at an industrial composting facility revealed that this plastic is biodegradable. In the lab experiment, the new plastic was broken down by natural enzymes within a few days. In the industrial facility, the composting microbes broke down the plastic within two months. It is now being investigated further to see if this plastic can be recycled and whether or it degrades naturally in various environmental situations.  

Edible packaging for water  
Bottled water is mostly packaged in plastic or, occasionally, in glass containers. New developments in the packaged water industry have resulted in the use of edible and plastic-free materials to make bottles.  

Ooho is the brand name of a ‘biodegradable water bottle’ that eliminates plastic packaging. It was created in 2014 by a London-based company called Skipping Rocks Lab, which was founded by Rodrigo Garcia and Pierre Passlier, two design students at the Imperial College London. The Ooho edible water spheres were created by dropping frozen liquid balls into a mixture of algae and calcium chloride. This mixture formed a membrane around the ice. Once the ice melts into liquid water, it is held by this strong membrane, which is both edible and biodegradable. The liquid can be consumed by biting into the tasteless membrane or swallowing the whole ball. So, people can now eat their water!  

You will find many innovations in the field of packaging, all aiming to somehow cut down on plastic waste. Although plastic still threatens the ecosystem and humanity, these innovations may aid in minimizing the adverse effects and creating a better future!