Plastics, aside from taking forever to degrade, also utilizes non-renewable sources like petroleum as well as other toxic chemicals. The production itself can also yield some nasty by-products. Even when plastics start to degrade, they break down into toxic components, particularly in our oceans.
Researchers at Tel-Avi University have possibly found a solution that will not only create a non-petroleum plastic but one that doesnât require lots of water and land in the form of sea-faring microalgae.
âThere are already factories that produce this type of bioplastic in commercial quantities, but they use plants that require agricultural land and fresh water,â said Dr. Alexander Goldberg in EcoWatch. âThe process we propose will enable countries with a shortage of fresh water, such as Israel, China and India, to switch from petroleum-derived plastics to biodegradable plastics.â
