Plastic wrap made from seaweed withstands heat and is compostable

Authored by newscientist.com and submitted by wol_75
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A thin material made from seaweed can handle high temperatures but only takes a few weeks to break down in a composting bin

The species of seaweed used to make the film Alamy/Nature Picture Library

A cling film made from an invasive seaweed can withstand high temperatures yet is still easily compostable. The material could eventually become a sustainable choice for food packaging.

Large quantities of thin plastic films, like those for wrapping produce or baked goods, are used every year. Most end up as garbage, either because they require specialised recycling facilities or can’t be recycled at all. Some biodegradable plastics do exist, but they can take months or even years to decompose. Keeran Ward …

Zaladin03 on April 17th, 2023 at 15:25 UTC »

Legit question, when discoveries like this are discovered, why isn't more effort done to further catapult them to the front to get more funding and projects/cleaning under the way?

Loganp812 on April 17th, 2023 at 15:09 UTC »

This plastic is comprised of 50% sea and 50% weed.

Law_Doge on April 17th, 2023 at 12:48 UTC »

If you figure out a way to run this plastic through a 3d printer it could be a game changer