Image by Anupa Uthsara
Written by Amelia Petty
At UC San Diego, researchers have developed a new type of plastic material that can biodegrade in a natural ocean environment. This material, called polyurethane foam, could potentially replace petroleum-based plastics that end up in our oceans and pollute the water for centuries. The popular commercial plastic used today does not break down naturally for hundreds of years, leaking toxins into the water, as well as breaking off into microplastics which are dangerous to ocean life, and eventually humans. While this groundbreaking invention gives an optimistic view on the future of ocean pollution, its commercial use across the world is still a long way off.
What makes this polyurethane foam so innovative is its ability to break down in ocean as well as land environments using enzymes from bacteria and fungi already found in those environments. The foam is essentially made of monomers connected using bonds called ester bonds, which when broken through enzymatic reactions, leaves the material back in its original monomer state, allowing it to be reused. Many plastic replacements, like this polyurethane foam, are derived from natural materials like algae. Algae is abundantly found all over the world’s beaches and oceans and can also survive in potentially harsh environments. As the material is created from natural substances, fungi and bacteria react to it naturally, and start the breakdown process. This cooperation from bacteria and enzymes in the ocean is what researchers at UC San Diego are focusing their studies on. The shoreline environment at their location, Scripps College’s Ellen Browning Scripps Memorial Pier and Experimental Aquarium, has been ideal for testing the solubility and effectiveness of the foam in a realistic environment.
Also at the Scripps Experimental Aquarium, a company called BlueView made its debut selling shoes out of this polyurethane foam. Flip flops and other non-biodegradable footwear and clothing are one of the ocean’s biggest pollutants, and BlueView’s mission is to reduce the large amount of plastic shoes that end up in the oceans each year. By creating soles and midsoles out of biodegradable material instead of plastic, any shoe that finds itself in water will eventually biodegrade without leaving as many microplastics and harmful toxins for years to come. While their $80 shoes are on the costlier side, BlueView’s mission is still a huge step forward for the future of sustainable fashion and consumerism.
While the invention is still being researched and developed, questions over the availability and commercialization of plastic replacements are still debated. Polyurethane foams are not the perfect plastic pollution solution. They require large amounts of energy to be created chemically, take a long time to decompose without the necessary bacteria, and are still less biodegradable than other bioplastics or alternatives. Additionally, the process to create it is expensive and is not available worldwide as it is relatively new. Regardless, the research being done at UC San Diego is extremely important for the future of ending plastic pollution with new alternatives and solutions to an age-old problem.
Works Cited:
Aguilera, M. (2022, September 22). A Sea Change for Plastic Pollution: New Material Biodegrades in Ocean Water [Online forum post]. UC San Diego Today. https://today.ucsd.edu/story/a-sea-change-for-plastic-pollution-new-material-biodegrades-in-ocean-water
Biodegradation of renewable polyurethane foams in marine environments occurs through depolymerization by marine microorganisms. (2022). Science Direct, 850(158671). https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969722058600
BlueView. (n.d.). Blueview. Retrieved August 26, 2023, from https://blueviewfootwear.com/
Rapid biodegradation of renewable polyurethane foams with identification of associated microorganisms and decomposition products. (2020). Science Direct, 11(100513). https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2589014X20301341#s0005
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