4mo ago

Transparent paper-based material can hold boiling water and degrade in deep ocean in under a year

phys.org

Science News @lemmy.today

Donald J. Musk @lemmy.today

4mo ago

Transparent paper-based material can hold boiling water and degrade in deep ocean in under a year

phys.org /news/2025-04-transparent-paper-based-material-degrade.html

11 comments

- Only in the ocean. So now we have to dump our trash there to be responsible!
  (I kid, I’m sure it’s biodegradable elsewhere too.)
- So seeing this just dissolve under natural circumstances seems like a game changer.
  Agreed! I def hope this becomes a common thing now.
Straws may have a comeback? Hell yeah.
Article in 15 years time: Cases of bromism are rising globally across human and animal life. Worlds oceans experiencing record high levels of bromine salts from degraded single use tPB containers.
Paper cups have been around for thousands of years and have held hot drinks since the start. Why are we re-inventing paper with chemically treated paper to get something that looks more plastic like/transparent while only holding liquids for a few hours.
- To replace single use plastics.
  Should we just stop using single use plastics? Yes. Will mankind be that smart? Lol yeah right
  
  We can already replace those single use plastics with paper.
  This isn’t a replacement for a bottle of water on a shelf, those will still need to be plastic as they need to hold up for more than a few hours.
  
  It’s not so much about humanity being smart as it is about governments having the incentive to intervene. They set the rules as to what is allowed, easy and cheap. Companies just play the game by the rules set by those governments, while consumers buy what’s available.
  Releasing greenhouse gases, and manufacturing single use items out of very durable materials is cheap at the moment, so that’s what companies end up doing.
- Good point!

11 comments