THE’plastic pollution it’s everywhere. In the seas, in the agricultural soils, in the air we breathe. Even in our blood. And the reason is simple: traditional plastic is resistant, does not dissolve in water and lasts decades, sometimes centuries. It’s perfect for industry, but a nightmare for the environment.
Today, however, something is moving. From the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC) comes one biodegradable plastic that is not afraid of humidity. It does not deform. It does not weaken. It does the exact opposite: when it comes into contact with water it becomes 50% more resistant. It seems like a paradox, but instead it is the result of research conducted at the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC) and published on Nature Communications.
From insect chitin to a biodegradable plastic
For over a hundred years we have designed materials with a simple principle: to last they must be helplesswaterproof, insulated. Water has always been considered a threat. Javier G. Fernandezprofessor at IBEC and co-author of the study, starts from an opposite assumption: what if a material could strengthen itself thanks to interaction with its surroundings?
Intuition comes from observing the fangs of a marine worm, Nereis virens. When they are deprived of zinc, they soften when they come into contact with water. Metals, therefore, are not a detail: they play a decisive role in the resistance to humidity of biological structures such as chitinthe substance that makes up the exoskeletons of insects and crustaceans. Hence the next step: working on chitosana derivative of chitin, and modify its behavior by inserting nickel ions – a metal already naturally present in traces in the original structure.
The result is a “bio-integrated” material in which water does not destroy, but participates. Once wet, the material increases its strength 50%outperforming several commercial plastics on the market today. It doesn’t swell. It doesn’t fall apart. It compacts. It is a paradigm shift: no longer materials that defend themselves from the environment, but materials that work together with the environment.
Zero waste, abundant raw materials and local production
It’s not just a question of performance. To make this interesting biodegradable plastic it is also the production process. The cycle is a zero waste. The nickel that does not bind to the chitosan is completely recovered from the soaking water and reused in the next batch. No dispersion. No accumulation of metal waste.
Furthermore, the raw material is neither rare nor expensive. Every year nature produces approximately 100 billion tons of chitina huge amount when compared to global plastic production. It is found in shrimp shells, mushrooms and numerous biological wastes. This means that production could also be organized on a territorial scale, adapting to available resources.
Akshayakumar Kompa, co-author of the study, explains it clearly: the key is to integrate these materials into the local ecosystem, taking advantage of chitosan available nearby. An approach that reduces transport and dependencies on complex supply chains.
From fishing nets to medical devices: where it can be used
Let’s think about how many plastic objects work in humid environments: agricultural nets, fishing equipment, containers for liquids, bottles, packaging. In all these cases one biodegradable plastic that strengthens with water represents a concrete alternative. Not only that. Chitosan and nickel are already used in the medical field. This opens up interesting scenarios for healthcare devices, materials for clinical use and hermetic containers also intended for food packaging.
The research is still at the beginning, it’s true. Testing, large-scale applications and investments will be needed. But there is a fact that changes the perspective: today we know that one biodegradable plastic it can behave in a completely different way from what we have known so far. And when a material proves that it can work better, more intelligently and without generating waste, it is no longer just a scientific curiosity: it becomes a concrete possibility.
