New plastic gamechanger. NO FOSSIL FUELS! NO MICROPLASTICS!

Plastic waste has become a scourge. Microplastics are apparently now even getting into human brains. So when a group of researchers claimed to have developed a polymer that is as strong and versatile as fossil plastic but which can also be fully dissolved in sea water with NO microplastics, I thought we had better take a look...

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Reference Links
Cheng et al : Mechanically strong yet metabolizable supramolecular plastics by desalting upon phase separation

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[gerrysanterre]

I am retired now, but 40 years ago, a co-worker only used glass, and when I asked him why, he told me plastics are bad.So Mike, you were ahead of your time

[mobilephil]

I'm old enough to remember that we had effectively NO throw-away culture in Britain when I was a boy. All of what went to landfill was degradable. Then we started importing ideas from across the pond. Repairing things became a no-no. Buying new clothes every ten minutes became de-rigeur. New everything else every other month soon followed.

[mhogan]

My good sir, what an excellent episode! As a molecular biologist, I had no idea that guanidine came from guano…what a fun fact to bring back to my lab! But seriously, fascinating story all around. And I love getting nuggets of hope from technological advancements like this.

[diytoptricks]

When I was a kid, my dad repaired things, reused things, and valued durability. The landfills back then were mostly filled with things that nature could break down—wood, paper, leftover food. There was no such thing as a “disposable culture.” Then the wave of fast-moving consumerism swept in from across the ocean. Suddenly, everything was designed to break, to be replaced. Clothes became something that had to be replaced not because of the weather, but because of “trends.” Tools were no longer made to last, but to sell quickly. Watching videos like this is a breath of fresh air—a reminder of the old way of life, when sharpening a knife wasn’t just about sharpening it, but about respecting what you had. Thank you for rekindling that spirit!

[peterdollins]

Thanks for all your good work. I will disagree with you on plastics. Born 1942 we had no plastics but there was no dirt, squalor or rubbishes. We had string bags--bring back with handles--shopping baskets, canvas shoulder bags, boxes et al. There is no need for plastics & bulk could be provided by hemp or other organic materials. I suggest a podcast on this.

[ReneKalioInnoventIch-txjb]

Thank you Dave for your insightful video on a new plastic material. Having worked in the plastic film industry myself some years ago, the most eco-friendly polymers (in the sense of degradability and being bio-sourced) I came across were polyhydroxybutyric acid (PHB) and other PHA’s, which even as an alloy with the now ubiquitous PLA are sea-water soluble and degradable to the molecular level of CO2 and water (which of course takes some days or weeks, depending on the composition). However, when I look at the formula of this new polymer, I immediately think of algal blooms and hypertrophic soils. This material - as you said - is pure fertilizer (ok, it could use some extra potassium), and that’s what it would do to any body of water, too. Besides: phosphorus is relatively rare, just enough to maintain life on planet earth plus feeding a couple of billion humans. Locking it away in plastics could turn out to be “just another missing think”.

[harcovanhees]

@all students and researchers: keep searching, trying and hold on. Good luck to you all.

[-Foot-Anaconda]

Politicians and international lawyers go round tying themselves in bureaucratic knots, but it is important to note that there were more lobbyists for petrochemical companies than scientists for that meeting

[gterhorst]

Nitrogen and phosphate are nutriënts. When added to surface water blue-green algea blooms are very likely.

[bravojr]

We as a society should consider the place of plastics, now more than ever... It has it's place, BUT IT IS NOT EVERYWHERE!

[pjk]

I took a history of science and tech course as part of my undergrad, and the guano rush was one thing we looked at. Basically, there were many islands in the ocean covered in several meters of bird guano from generations of birds doing their business. This guano also was a GREAT fertilizer, and before synthetic fertilizers it was the best way to improve farmland. There are several islands the US still claims as a direct consequence of that guano rush, and explains why that scientist was looking into it in South America, it was a huge business!

[Jboggs]

A quick "Thank You Dave" for all the hard work.

[squall]

the phosphorus cycle is the most critical among the macronutrients in agricultural soils: it can't be fixed naturally from the atmosphere like C and N and its known mineral resources seem to be very limited... if we want to keep eating in the far future we should really think twice before even considering any alternative mass use of such a critical and scarce resource.

the material looks amazing though, thanks for the weekly think.

[rockman]

Thanks to the scientists who are working on these problems! Now the politicians need to get their heads out of each others back sides and put a stop to the bad, waste plastics we don't need!! Thanks Dave! Thumbs up! Jim in Phoenix.

[voltaaire]

Chemist notes: "Arginine is the amino acid with the formula The molecule *features a guanidino group* appended to a standard amino acid framework. At physiological pH, the carboxylic acid is deprotonated (−CO2−) and both the amino and guanidino groups are protonated, resulting in a cation. Only the l-arginine (symbol Arg or R) enantiomer is found naturally. Arg residues are common components of proteins."-Wikipedia
IN OTHER WORDS, ARGININE CAN BE MADE FROM GELATIN.

[Lightja_]

Appreciate the skeptical eye on science news.

[richardfellows]

'Assuming you've got hair'! I lift my ball cap off my bald head in salute to your humor!

[kurt]

Thanks for your hard work on your videos. I've learned a lot from you over the years.

[ellenlandowski]

Empty booze bottles make great water bottles for boiled and filtered water. They dont shatter from the hot water and dont crack when bumped unless you bump rock/ flooring. I have repeatedly used the same set for 10 yrs.

[BluestoneGargoyle]

I hope they find means to overcome the challenges; this looks very promising!