A study by the University of Portsmouth and the Flanders Marine Institute has found that a plant-based plastic material emits significantly fewer microplastics than traditional plastic when subjected to sunlight and seawater. The research highlights the resilience of bio-based plastics and emphasizes the need for further investigation into their environmental impact, particularly in marine settings.
A recent study has discovered that a new plant-based plastic material releases nine times fewer microplastics compared to traditional plastic when subjected to sunlight and seawater. Conducted by researchers from theand the Flanders Marine Institute in Belgium, the study examined the degradation of two different types of plastic under harsh conditions.
“By knowing the effect of different types of plastics on the environment, we can make better choices to protect our oceans.” These particles are known as ‘microplastics’ and have been observed in most marine ecosystems, posing a serious threat to aquatic life.“Although our findings show that the PLA released fewer microplastics, which means using plant-based plastics instead of oil-based ones might seem like a good idea to reduce plastic pollution in the ocean, we need to be careful as microplastics are still clearly being released and that remains a concern.