A new type of bioplastic could help reduce the plastic industry’s environmental footprint. Researchers led by the University of California San Diego have developed a biodegradable form of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), a soft yet durable commercial plastic used in footwear, floor mats, cushions and memory foam. It is filled with bacterial spores that, when exposed to nutrients present in compost, germinate and break down the material at the end of its life cycle.
A new type of bioplastic could help reduce the plastic industry’s environmental footprint. Researchers led by the University of California San Diego have developed a biodegradable form of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), a soft yet durable commercial plastic used in footwear, floor mats, cushions and memory foam. It is filled with bacterial spores that, when exposed to nutrients present in compost, germinate and break down the material at the end of its life cycle.
The work is detailed in a paper published on April 30 in Nature Communications.
The biodegradable TPU was made with bacterial spores from a strain of Bacillus subtilis that has the ability to break down plastic polymer materials.
«It’s an inherent property of these bacteria,» said study co-senior author Jon Pokorski, a nanoengineering professor at the UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering and co-lead of the university’s Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC). «We took a few strains and evaluated their ability to use TPUs as a sole carbon source, then picked the one that grew the best.»
The researchers used bacterial spores, a dormant form of bacteria, due to their resistance to harsh environmental conditions.
