It is lunchtime at the Monash University Malaysia campus in Bandar Sunway, Selangor. The large canteen is teeming with students, most with their heads bent down in pursuit of the meals set out before them. Many have got plastic cups filled with the beverages of their choice.
When they are done with their meals, those plastic cups will no doubt be discarded – as is the case with most single-use plastic items. But unlike most plastic cups, these cups will not contribute to the mountain of plastic waste in the world. In fact, the university now serves as the launch pad and pilot project for a country-first plastic technology that is capable of biodegrading.
Lyfecycle is a new, innovative solution from British outfit Polymateria to tackle the global plastic pollution pandemic. At a global level, up to 32% of plastic waste ends up in nature. Single-waste plastic – used predominantly for delivery and takeaway – is a major contributor to this, as is the plastic materials used to wrap everything from vegetables and breads in supermarkets.
To combat this, the company devised an innovative solution that is applied to plastic materials and magically turns them into biodegradable entities. Getting students to understand more about sustainability and sustainable materials can help in the future. The straws, tableware and utensils being adopted at Monash University essentially self-destruct on land within two years leaving no microplastics or toxins behind.
What is left is an earth-f.