Revolution in plastic: Leipzig inventor presents the wool-milk plastic”!

Revolution in plastic: Leipzig inventor presents the wool-milk plastic”!

The problem of plastic waste is omnipresent these days. Plastic products often have a long life cycle and only break down after thousands of years. This means that the world's oceans are becoming increasingly polluted and the animals living in them are endangered. These animals ingest plastic and starve to death as a result, which has a serious impact on the ecosystem. In addition, microplastics enter the food chain; It is estimated that people consume the equivalent of a credit card in microplastics every week. In this context, there are now innovative approaches that could help to improve this situation.

A promising example comes from Leipzig: The company Aevoloop has developed a new type of plastic that is said to be stable, cost-effective and easily recyclable. Founder Manuel Häußler describes the product as a “jack-of-all-trades plastic”. This innovative material contains predetermined breaking points in the molecular structure that are interrupted by oxygen atoms. These properties facilitate both recycling and biodegradation of the plastic, which represents an important step towards a more sustainable future, as MDR reports.

New regulations for waste separation

In addition to such innovative materials, new regulations for the separation of organic waste will come into force from May 1, 2025. The aim of these measures is to significantly reduce the amount of plastic products that end up in the organic waste bin, even if they are advertised as biodegradable. According to the new requirements of the Organic Waste Ordinance, organic waste may contain a maximum of 0.5 percent plastics. This applies to all foreign substances, including packaging and coffee capsules, which are often considered harmful to the environment. Plastics in particular make up the largest proportion of foreign substances in organic waste and decompose into microplastics, which negatively affects the quality of soil and water, according to BMUV.

The implementation of these new regulations is the responsibility of the operators of the treatment plants, who must check foreign substances in the organic waste delivered. If the permissible upper limits are exceeded, these foreign substances must be removed. Municipalities are responsible for how organic waste is collected from private households. Consumers who throw plastic products into the organic waste bin risk consequences such as re-sorting or disposal as residual waste.

Plastic in the world's oceans

The effects of plastic waste not only affect the land, but also the oceans. Microplastics and plastic waste are widely found in all areas of the ocean: on the water surface, in the water column, on the seabed and in sea ice as well as in organisms. However, the actual amount of trash in the oceans is difficult to quantify. Scientists are finding that large amounts of trash in hard-to-reach areas of the ocean cannot be captured and a significant portion of plastic trash has already broken down into microplastics. There is a significant need for research here to understand the effects on ecosystems and organisms, according to ESKP.

The urgency of action is undisputed. The development of new processes and materials is necessary to reduce the entry of plastic waste into the environment. The industry has a special responsibility here. Only through joint efforts from the natural sciences, engineering and humanities can sustainable solutions be found to avoid plastic waste and protect the health of our planet and our fellow creatures.