Plastic pollution continues to pose a major threat to aquatic ecosystems and human health. Every year, this scourge sends nearly 5% of plastic waste into rivers and seas, undermining marine biodiversity and compromising global food security.
The situation is critical: by entering marine organisms, microplastics severely disrupt the food chain. At this rate, experts fear that hundreds of millions of people may face an increased risk of famine within two decades. In response to this urgency, measures to restrict single-use plastics have been implemented around the world, yet they do not provide fully satisfactory solutions.
It is in this context that Japanese researchers have made a remarkable breakthrough. The team from the JAMSTEC agency, specializing in oceanographic and terrestrial research, has designed a new material called **tPB** – a biodegradable and recyclable alternative to traditional plastic. This transparent cardboard, produced from virgin or recycled cellulose, combines environmental respect with technical performance. Its manufacturing uses an innovative method, without chemical coagulants, based on lithium bromide.
The result is a rigid material, moldable into shapes, perfectly waterproof thanks to a treatment based on vegetable fatty acid salts. A cup made from tPB can, for example, hold boiling water for several hours without degrading.
In addition to its biodegradability, tPB stands out for its ability to naturally disintegrate: in deep waters, it disappears in less than a year, and even more quickly at the surface. The recycling process slightly alters its transparency but retains most of its ecological properties.
Meanwhile, other Japanese teams are also exploring promising avenues. One of them has developed a durable plastic that can completely dissolve in saltwater in less than nine hours, without generating microplastics.
All these initiatives show that it is still possible to reverse the trend and reconcile innovation with environmental protection.