Post by Wageningen University & Research

♻️ Not all biobased plastics are biodegradable, and that’s not necessarily a problem Biobased plastics are made from resources like sugar cane or starch rather than fossil sources, but that does not automatically mean they will break down in the natural environment. And according to Maarten van der Zee, expert on biodegradable plastics, that's not a problem. Some applications require strong, durable materials that are designed to last. Window frames, for example. Of course, there are also plastic applications that risk polluting the environment, like fishing nets or tree protectors. In those cases, biodegradable plastics can be a part of the solution. But when is plastic truly biodegradable? And how can this be measured reliably? In his research, Van der Zee is developing a new test to assess more quickly how well plastics biodegrade. Whereas existing methods are highly accurate but time-consuming, his approach makes it possible to test many different materials simultaneously. In doing so, he helps to accelerate the development of more sustainable plastics. 💬 Which plastic products do you think should be redesigned first? #Plastics #Biobased #WURResearch

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