Dr Florence Huynh, Vice President of Innovations at Polymateria
It is estimated that 32% of plastic (packaging) globally escapes into nature, being neither collected nor recycled. This plastic persists for up to hundreds of years, making its way into our oceans and breaking apart into microplastics.
Yet the durability and low cost of plastic make it both a valuable and versatile material across many industries, and one that is difficult to replace. In many parts of the world, it is essential for the continued supply of fresh food, clean water and sanitary items.
In a world-first study published by Imperial College London, SIRIM and Polymateria, the most commonly used plastic packaging materials – polyethylene (PE) & polypropylene (PP) – are shown to fully biodegrade in nature within 2 years when incorporating Polymateria’s Biotransformation technology. PE and PP are widely used in everyday products like cups, straws, plastic bags and plastic films, as well as hygiene items like facemasks and wipes.
The researchers found that plastic incorporating the technology rapidly transformed into a bioavailable wax when exposed to the environment with no microplastics. Having been proven completely safe for the environment, the wax was then fully consumed by microbes as measured through biodegradation testing, leaving no traces of the original material behind.
Through detailed analysis at Imperial College London, the study also uniquely uncovered that the microbes which consume the plastic are found naturally in soil around the world. No special conditions are needed for the biodegradation to take place. The microbes consume the plastic in the same way that they digest natural oils or butter.
“Uncovering pathways through which polyolefin plastics can fully biodegrade is a remarkable discovery. We now know how plastic materials previously thought to be almost indestructible can safely return to nature. We are excited to be seeing this approach having real world impact on tackling plastic pollution.” says Dr Jose Jimenez Zarco, Associate Professor in Synthetic Biology at Imperial College London who led the microbial research.
SIRIM, Malaysia’s Governmental testing & certification body, carried out this landmark biodegradation testing. The research further substantiates its national Ecolabel, SIRIM ECO 098, which was published in 2023 based on the UK standard BSI PAS 9017. The Ecolabel underpins the rollout of biodegradable plastics to tackle plastic pollution in Malaysia.
Muhammad Zuhayr, Senior Researcher from SIRIM explains: “We are proud to have contributed to this cutting-edge research together with Imperial College London and Polymateria. According to the Malaysia Plastics Sustainability Roadmap (2021–2030), a significant proportion of plastics in Malaysia are not recycled or managed through appropriate end of life pathways, contributing to leakage into the environment. This highlights the importance of continuing to strengthen waste management systems while expanding the availability of sustainable material solutions. Alongside a range of national initiatives, credible alternatives such as biodegradable plastics can play an important role in supporting Malaysia's transition towards a more circular plastics economy. Through SIRIM's Ecolabel programme, SIRIM is helping to ensure that a range of credible alternatives are available for industry, policymakers and consumers to adopt with confidence.”
More than 300 brands across Asia, including globally recognised names, are rapidly adopting the Biotransformation technology as an antidote to the high levels of plastic leakage in the region. They join established users across stadiums in the UK. The technology is also being rolled out in emerging markets such as Africa.
This research is expected to provide further confidence for brands, industry and policymakers to utilise biodegradable plastics to tackle plastic pollution across global markets and sectors as part of a balanced framework, complementing necessary efforts to reduce plastic usage, reuse, and recycle materials.
Dr Florence Huynh, Vice President of Innovations at Polymateria and a lead author of the study, said: “As a science-led company, this publication marks a major milestone on our mission to tackle plastic pollution. It proves that common plastic materials can fully biodegrade in the open terrestrial environment. The research will give policymakers and industry renewed confidence that scalable solutions do exist for the 32% of plastic packaging waste that leaks into the environment each year globally. We’re grateful to the experts at Imperial College London and SIRIM for the chance to collaborate on this groundbreaking research.”