Researchers at Rutgers University have developed a technique to create plastics that break down in days, months, or years, inspired by natural polymers like DNA. This approach aims to reduce environmental pollution from discarded plastics. The method mimics chemical structures that enable quick degradation in nature.
In 2022, over 250 million tonnes of plastic were discarded worldwide, with just 14 percent recycled, leaving most to be burned or buried. Efforts to produce biodegradable plastics have persisted for 35 years, using materials like bamboo and seaweed, though many fail to compost easily or live up to claims.
Yuwei Gu and his team at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, explored why natural polymers such as DNA and RNA degrade rapidly while synthetic plastics endure for centuries. They identified neighbouring groups in natural polymers that facilitate nucleophilic attacks, severing polymer chains with less energy.
The researchers synthesized artificial structures mimicking these groups and incorporated them into new plastics. This allows the materials to deconstruct easily, with lifespan tuned by adjusting the additions' structure. Breakdown converts long chains into small fragments, potentially reusable for new plastics or safe environmental dissolution.
"This strategy works best for plastics that benefit from controlled degradation over days to months, so we see strong potential for applications like food packaging and other short-lived consumer materials," Gu stated. He added, "At the moment, it is less suited for plastics that must remain stable for decades before breaking down – such as construction materials or long-term structural components."
Challenges remain: the resulting liquid fragments require toxicity testing for safe release. Deconstruction currently needs ultraviolet light, though ambient sunlight suffices; buried plastics would persist without it. The work appears in Nature Chemistry (DOI: 10.1038/s41557-025-02007-3).