Researchers at Georgia Tech have developed a seashell-inspired material for more powerful plastic, which can both improve the recycling ability of the material and also use it in high-stress areas, such as space, as Interesting Engineering reported.
Because there are so many different types of plastics, recycling them is difficult, as well as pricey.
“It is cheaper to just make a new plastic product than to collect it and recycle it or reuse it,” said Roskilde University’s Kristian Syberg. “That’s a systemic problem.”
This makes plastic recycling inconsistent. According to a report from Greenpeace, only about 5% of plastic is recycled into something new. That means that over 474 million tons of plastic each year are being discarded into landfills, which contributes to water and soil pollution as well as methane production that leads to a warmer planet.
Plastic also breaks down into microplastics, which are in our food, water, and bodies. While little is known about microplastics, recent studies show they can increase the likelihood of cardiovascular disease, stroke, or death.
Georgia Tech’s new development could reduce the cost of plastic packaging materials by 50% and reduce the amount of waste going to landfills, according to Interesting Engineering.
The team, led by aerospace engineering assistant professor Christos Athanasiou, created a form of plastic that is based on seashells. Normal plastic is made of random materials that tend to be weak and hard to recycle. Seashells, which “thrive on imperfection,” are the perfect blueprint for plastic because they are random but robust.
Using the same recycled plastic in the stretch film that wraps around pallet loads, the team created new plastic materials. When they tested the material, they found that their material matched the performance of virgin plastic, the newest, purest form of plastic, while reducing the elongation of the material, which can contribute to its weakness and unreliability, by more than 68%. And, due to the trustworthiness of the material, it can be reused.
“By focusing on designed-enabled variability suppression,” the study read, “the UATSC model offers a sustainable path to consistent performance, unlocking broader industrial use of recycled plastics and helping to address the global waste-plastic crisis.”
The team hopes to use this type of material to help the NASA Lunar Recycling Challenge, which aims to find high-performing recyclables for lunar missions.
“Our study tackles a fundamental mechanics problem: how do you build reliable structures from unreliable materials?” said Christos Athanasiou. “Whether it’s a reusable rocket part or a shelter on Mars, we need materials that are resilient across their entire lifecycle.”
With bio-inspired approaches, like the seashell, the team hopes to find high-performing and sustainable materials that will work for Earth and beyond.
“We’re taking that philosophy and applying it to a problem that affects both Earth and the future of space exploration,” said Athanasiou.
Scientists are finding new methods to create plastic to help reduce waste and pollution. At the Eindhoven University of Technology, a method has been developed for plastic to react to light, allowing it to be easily recycled. A Northwestern team found that using materials from nickels could also make recycling plastic easier.
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