In a study with the sobriety-testing title of "Supramolecular Ionic Polymerization: Cellulose-Based Supramolecular Plastics with Broadly Tunable Mechanical Properties" concludes that it is actually possible to make plastic based on plants instead of oil, as Japanese scientists have made a new type of plastic that can degrade fully using seawater or natural environments, and does not contain microplastics nor harm animals, plants or even the soil.
The new plastic type is called CMCSP is just as strong as conventional plastic, and has the same abilities for transformation and modification depending on usage.
While not the first cellulose-based plastic, it is the first that can be fully broken down naturally and not leave microplastics, a contamination so severe that the UN only a few months ago tried to negotiate a treaty on the matter as it is considered a direct threat to the health of the entire planetary ecosystem.
If this gets funding, it may be one of the most important discoveries and a first step to rid the world of more than 400 million tones of plastic produced every year.
A big thank you to Zhenghong Chen, Yang Hong, Hiroyuki Inuzuka, Kiichi Mizukami, and research leader Takuzo Aida from the RIKEN Center for Emergent Matter Science in Japan.