Inspired by spider webs: researchers: inside develop plastic alternatives

One topic is attracting increasing attention in our daily reporting: microplastics. The particularly small particles and plastic in general are increasingly causing problems in our society today, and there is no end in sight.

It’s no wonder, considering the many advantages plastic has. On the one hand, it is light and at the same time sufficiently stable to be used in many areas of application. Plus, the fabric is easy to make and dirt cheap. Researchers at the University of Cambridge have now developed a plant-based alternative.

It is well known that humans have been trying to replace the material with plant-based alternatives for a long time. The new approach is special because it was inspired by nature, the new plastic copies the properties of spider threads, one of the strongest natural materials on a molecular level.

To this end, the researchers developed a process that dissolves plant-based proteins and brings them into the same structure. The process requires little energy and relies on sustainable ingredients, such as soy protein isolate, a by-product that is created in the manufacture of soybean oil.

Compared to other bio-plastic alternatives, the material is particularly stable; if parts of it land in the ocean one day, the plastic simply dissolves. It can also be recycled in compost. The first products from the start-up Xampla, which arose from the project, should appear in 2021.

Own opinion:

Plastic is a useful and sustainable material, but we don’t live with the current manufacturing methods in a sustainable way. On the one hand, the production mostly requires fossil fuels, furthermore, decomposition in the oceans and in nature takes decades. Should materials with the same properties appear on a sustainable basis in the near future, then we could soon have solved a major world problem.

Via Fast Company