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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Plastics–Fertilizer Homology: Solid-Phase Molecular Assembly Enables Natural Closed-Ring Cycle of Biomass-like Plastics
ClearPlastics–FertilizerHomology: Solid-Phase MolecularAssembly Enables Natural Closed-Ring Cycle of Biomass-like Plastics
Researchers developed a biomass-like supramolecular plastic made from components that share chemical properties with fertilizers, designed so the material can degrade in soil and release nutrients rather than leaving persistent microplastic residues. This plastics-fertilizer homology strategy demonstrated proof-of-concept for a fully closed-loop bioplastic that mimics natural biomass cycles.
Enhancing PolyelectrolyteStrength of Biopolymersfor Fully Recyclable and Biodegradable Plastics
Researchers developed a fully recyclable and biodegradable plastic material created through solid polyelectrolyte complexation of naturally occurring biopolymers, enhancing their polyelectrolyte strength to achieve mechanical properties competitive with conventional single-use packaging plastics. The study demonstrated that this approach addresses both the microplastic pollution problem and fossil fuel dependence while enabling end-of-life recyclability.
Functionalization of slow-release fertilizers and “passive predation microplastics” mechanism for polylactic acid composites
Researchers developed a biodegradable fertilizer film made from polylactic acid (PLA) and modified lignin that can slowly release nutrients while breaking down naturally in soil, offering an alternative to conventional plastic mulch. The study also explored how plants absorb tiny fragments of bio-based plastics, which is important for understanding whether even biodegradable alternatives still pose risks to food safety.
Enhancing Polyelectrolyte Strength of Biopolymers for Fully Recyclable and Biodegradable Plastics
This study developed a biodegradable and fully recyclable plastic material by forming solid polyelectrolyte complexes from naturally occurring charged polymers, achieving stiffness comparable to conventional plastics while enabling composting or dissolution-based recycling — with no microplastic residue.
Uniformly crosslinked algal bioplastic with triggerable decomposition in salt water
Researchers developed a uniformly crosslinked algal bioplastic designed to decompose on demand when exposed to salt water, presenting this material as a strategy to reduce marine plastic pollution and limit microplastic formation in ocean environments.
Planstic: Biodegradable Plastic with High-Entropy Fibers Made from Waste Plastic and Plant Leaves
Researchers created "Planstic," a biodegradable material made from fallen plant leaves combined with waste plastic, using 3D printing to control its structure. The material degrades completely within 8 weeks in soil, leaving behind very few microplastic particles, making it a promising eco-friendly alternative to conventional plastics.
Nanocellulose Hybrid Lignin Complex Reinforces Cellulose to Form a Strong, Water-Stable Lignin–Cellulose Composite Usable as a Plastic Replacement
This study developed a strong, water-stable composite material made from cellulose and lignin extracted from agricultural waste (sugarcane bagasse), as an eco-friendly alternative to plastic. The lignin-cellulose composite showed dramatically improved wet strength compared to regular cellulose sheets, demonstrating potential as a biodegradable plastic replacement that would not generate persistent microplastic pollution.
Economia Circular E Desenvolvimento Sustentável: Compostabilidade, Biodegradação E Inovação Em Biopolímeros E Compósitos Renováveis Para Aplicações Estruturais, Agrícolas E Embalagens
This review paper summarizes research on new plant-based plastics that can break down naturally in the environment, unlike regular plastics made from oil. These eco-friendly materials could replace traditional plastic in food packaging and farming, potentially reducing the tiny plastic particles that end up in our food and water. However, the technology still needs improvements and better waste management systems before these biodegradable plastics can widely replace regular plastics.
Sustainable Plastics with High Performance and Convenient Processibility
Researchers developed a new approach to creating sustainable plastics by combining bio-derived polymers with petroleum-based monomers through in situ polymerization. The resulting materials showed strong mechanical properties, good processability, and improved environmental degradability compared to conventional plastics. The study offers a potential pathway toward reducing microplastic pollution by designing plastics that break down more readily after disposal.
Utilization of Household Plastic Waste in Technologies with Final Biodegradation
Researchers developed a multi-stage processing method for polyethylene terephthalate and polystyrene household plastic waste, incorporating the materials into film-forming compositions used to encapsulate granular mineral fertilizers. The study confirmed that polymer shell residues safely biodegraded in soil after fertilizer dissolution, demonstrating a viable pathway for converting plastic waste into agricultural inputs.
Cross-linked Cellulose Ester/Linseed Oil Composites for Controlled Release Fertilizers
Researchers developed cross-linked cellulose ester and linseed oil composites for use as controlled-release fertilizers, offering a biodegradable alternative to conventional plastic-coated fertilizers that shed microplastics into agricultural soils.
Elaboration of germinable bioplastic based on corn olot
Researchers developed a germinable bioplastic from corn cob waste as a biodegradable alternative to conventional plastic materials. The bioplastic can both degrade and support plant germination when placed in soil, offering a sustainable alternative that avoids generating persistent microplastic fragments.
Biodegradable Mineral Plastics
Researchers developed a new class of biodegradable mineral plastics that are bio-based and compostable, designed as an environmentally friendly alternative to persistent petroleum-based plastics. While relevant to reducing future plastic pollution, the paper is focused on materials science and does not address microplastic contamination or its health and environmental impacts.
Development of Fertilizer Coatings from Polyglyoxylate–Polyester Blends Responsive to Root-Driven pH Change
Researchers developed biodegradable fertilizer coatings made from a self-degrading polymer blended with polycaprolactone or polylactic acid, designed to release nutrients in the acidic zone around plant roots. Replacing conventional non-biodegradable polymer coatings on fertilizers could significantly reduce microplastic accumulation in agricultural soils.
Synthesis and Characterization of Bioplastic from Macroalgae Padina australis
Researchers produced bioplastic from the brown macroalgae Padina australis as an alternative to petroleum-based synthetic plastics, which are major environmental pollutants. The alginate-based bioplastic showed promising material properties, suggesting marine algae could be a sustainable raw material for reducing plastic waste.
Synthetic lignin-like and degradable nanocarriers
Scientists synthesized biodegradable nanocarriers from bio-based lignin-like building blocks, creating materials that can be broken down by fungal enzymes and could deliver agrochemicals to crops. Developing biodegradable delivery systems could reduce the plastic packaging waste that eventually fragments into microplastics.
Synthesis of a new biocomposite for fertiliser coating: assessment of biodegradability and thermal stability
Researchers created a new biodegradable composite material combining cellulose nanoparticles, natural rubber, and polylactic acid, finding it would fully break down in soil within about 3,000 hours while being more heat-resistant than standard polylactic acid alone. This type of biodegradable material could replace conventional plastic coatings in agriculture, helping reduce the microplastic pollution caused by plastic mulches and fertilizer coatings.
The Structural and Functional Responses of Rhizosphere Bacteria to Biodegradable Microplastics in the Presence of Biofertilizers
Researchers studied how biodegradable microplastics interact with biofertilizers in crop soils and found that even though biodegradable plastics are designed as greener alternatives, they still significantly altered soil bacterial communities and disrupted carbon metabolism pathways. The findings suggest that biodegradable microplastics may affect soil health differently than conventional plastics, but are not necessarily harmless.
Establishment of Microcosm to Bio-Stimulate Soil Microbiota for Sustainable Waste Management of Plastic Polymer
Researchers proposed using microcosm systems to biostimulate soil microbiota as a sustainable approach to plastic polymer degradation, addressing the global problem of plastic waste that can take over 500 years to decompose naturally. The study examined how engineered microbial communities could be optimized to break down plastic polymers under controlled conditions.
Plant stimuli-responsive biodegradable polymers for the use in timed release fertilizer coatings
This study developed plant-stimulated biodegradable polymer coatings for controlled-release fertilizers that break down when triggered by root secretions, releasing nutrients when plants need them. The innovation addresses the problem of conventional fertilizer coatings made from non-degradable polymers that contribute to microplastic contamination in agricultural soils.
Biotechnological model for ubiquitous mixed petroleum- and bio-based plastics degradation and upcycling into bacterial nanocellulose
Researchers demonstrated a biotechnological approach for breaking down mixed petroleum-based and bio-based plastic waste and converting it into valuable bacterial nanocellulose. The system used engineered microbial communities to simultaneously degrade different plastic types that are typically difficult to recycle together. The study presents a promising model for sustainable end-of-life management of mixed plastic waste streams, addressing a key challenge in reducing plastic pollution.
Bio-Inspired Eco-Composite Materials Seaweed Waste Integration for Sustainable Structural Applications
Researchers developed biodegradable substrates incorporating seaweed residue for cultivating algae in marine environments, aiming to address both plastic pollution and carbon dioxide emissions. Adding algae powder accelerated degradation in seawater, with up to 12% mass loss after two months of immersion. The study suggests these bio-inspired composites could serve dual purposes: supporting marine algae growth while gradually breaking down instead of persisting as plastic waste.
Circular use of biobased plastics in agriculture and horticulture
Researchers presented outcomes from a three-year collaborative project developing biobased and biodegradable plastic products for agriculture and horticulture, demonstrating viable pathways for recycling, industrial composting, and programmed soil biodegradation across applications including growbags and plant propagation products, while introducing an online tool to help farmers select circular plastic options that minimise microplastic accumulation.
Synthesis of a New Biocomposite for Fertiliser Coating: Assessment of Biodegradabilityand Thermal Stability
Researchers developed a biocomposite made from cellulose nanoparticles, natural rubber, and polylactic acid for use as a biodegradable fertilizer coating. Using natural biopolymers to coat fertilizers instead of conventional plastic films could help reduce agricultural microplastic contamination from plastic-coated slow-release fertilizers.