An India-based company has unveiled a fully biodegradable, plant-based plastic alternative that could revolutionize the fight against plastic pollution, ThePackHub reported.

In addition to being carbon-neutral, the plant-based plastic-film alternative is compatible with existing packaging equipment, according to its manufacturer.

"Our technology is uniquely scalable, thanks to its thermoplastic nature and compatibility with existing machinery in the industry," pFiber, the creator of the new material, said on its website. "This ensures that switching costs are virtually zero, making it easy and cost-effective for businesses to adopt our solution."

pFibre claimed that its plastic films fully disintegrate within three days in water and five days in soil, leaving behind no microplastic residue, per ThePackHub.  

When it comes to combating plastic waste, as well as the planet-heating pollution that plastic production generates, the world can take all the help it can get. Every year, between 21 million and 25 million tons of plastic waste enter the world's lakes, rivers, and oceans, according to the UN Environment Programme. 

Once in the environment, plastic does not biodegrade. Instead, it breaks down into smaller and smaller pieces, eventually becoming microplastics or even nanoplastics. 

Microplastics have been found in everything from food to drinking water to air. While their effects on human health are still little understood, medical experts have voiced high levels of concern. 

"There are so many unknowns," said Bernardo Lamos, an adjunct professor at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, per Harvard Medicine. "But we are seeing data that suggest microplastics affect human biology." 

Often overlooked in the plastic debate is the environmental cost of producing plastic in the first place. 

According to research by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, primary plastic production was responsible for releasing the equivalent of 2.46 gigatons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere in 2019. This represented a staggering 5.3% of all heat-trapping pollution produced that year. 

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With pFibre claiming that its plant-based plastic-film replacements are carbon neutral, the discovery could be revolutionary not only for cutting plastic waste but also for reducing the amount of heat-trapping pollution that enters the atmosphere.

While breakthrough innovations like those being developed by pFibre offer hope that a plastic-free future is just around the corner, there are plenty of things that can be done in the meantime to reduce the environmental harm that plastic causes.

For example, by supporting brands that embrace plastic-free packaging, you can reduce the amount of single-use plastic that ends up in landfills or oceans while also sending an important message to other brands that you are willing to make consumer choices that reflect your environmental values. 

Other ways to pitch in on plastic pollution include knowing your recycling options and finding creative ways to repurpose single-use containers and packaging.

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