A plastic has been created that dissolves in the sea in a few hours

A group of Japanese researchers have developed a plastic that dissolves in seawater within hours, offering a potential solution to the problem of marine plastic pollution.

Researchers at the Riken Center for Emergent Matter Science and the University of Tokyo say their new material decomposes much faster than existing ones, leaving no traces behind. In a lab in the city of Wako, near Tokyo, the team demonstrated the disappearance of a small piece of plastic in a container of salt water after it was shaken for about an hour.

While the team has not yet prepared any commercialization plans, project leader Takuzo Aida said their research has attracted considerable interest, including from those in the packaging industry.

Scientists around the world are trying to develop innovative solutions to the problem of the ever-increasing presence of plastic waste, an effort supported by awareness campaigns such as World Environment Day, celebrated on June 5.

The United Nations Environment Programme predicts that plastic pollution will triple by 2040, adding 23-37 million tons of waste to the world’s oceans each year.