r/science • u/mvea Professor | Medicine • Feb 20 '21

Chemistry Chemists developed two sustainable plastic alternatives to polyethylene, derived from plants, that can be recycled with a recovery rate of more than 96%, as low-waste, environmentally friendly replacements to conventional fossil fuel-based plastics. (Nature, 17 Feb)

https://academictimes.com/new-plant-based-plastics-can-be-chemically-recycled-with-near-perfect-efficiency/
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u/ThePotMonster Feb 20 '21

I feel I've seen these plant based plastics come up a few times in the last couple decades but they never seem to get any traction.

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u/ghostpoisonface Feb 20 '21

Soy based plastics are huge. They’re in lots of automotive applications. Do you look at every plastic object around you and know what type of plastic it is? Absolutely petroleum plastics are way more common, but plant based ones are here too.

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u/Snoo75302 Feb 20 '21

most plastics have a label saying what its made of.