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Beyond human perception: designing nonhuman material affordances for ecological reintegration
Summary
Researchers examined how polylactic acid (PLA), widely marketed as a sustainable plastic, resists decomposition in real-world soil environments, arguing that material design must move beyond biodegradability claims and actively engineer materials to interface with specific ecological decomposition pathways.
ABSTRACT: Biodegradability is often framed as an intrinsic material property. By integrating industrial design and soil science, this research examines how material design can actively support ecological reintegration. Through a case study of Polylactic Acid (PLA)—marketed as sustainable yet resistant to breakdown in everyday soil—we challenge how biodegradability claims misalign with real-world decomposition. To address this, we designed and tested 3D printing filaments, using compost respiration analysis to show that microbial engagement depends on material composition and environmental factors. We then introduce decayability as a novel affordance that supports microbial activity. By extending affordance theory beyond human perception, this study establishes a framework for designing materials that mediate interactions between human fabrication needs and nonhuman decomposition processes.