Meet Hydropol, the plastic that dissolves in water – and could solve London’s fatberg crisis

All plastics are polymers, repeating chains of petroleum-derived molecules. Hydropol can be shaped and functions like a plastic, until it is immersed in water. “Most plastic polymers are hydrophobic, so they form microplastics that hang around forever,” explains Lapping. “Hydropol is hydrophilic, so they can’t form the harmful microplastics that hydrophobics can. It will dissolve, go into solution, and then fully biodegrade.”