New research gives hope that a fully biodegradable material could be used to make eco-friendly cups and straws — without getting soggy.
The new material, created by a Japanese team of scientists, is called transparent paperboard, or tPB. As reported by IFLScience, the millimeter-thick material is made by taking cellulose from materials such as plants and wood, and turning it into a transparent hydrogel that can be formed into shapes such as cups and straws.
"Through the utilization of unexploited cellulose wastes such as worn fabrics, waste papers, and low-value wood, tPB can play a pivotal role in the sustainable circular economy of the future," the scientists wrote in the journal Science Advances.
The initial testing showed remarkable results.
After three hours, a cup made of tPB retained 98.8% of water, with the remaining 1.2% permeating through the cup's wall and evaporating. When a thin coating — made with a plant-based fatty acid salt — was added, the cup retained had effectively no leaks and performed similarly to a plastic-lined paper cup.
The material also has high thermal properties, researchers wrote, meaning it could effectively stand up to just-boiled water.
And not only is the material biodegradable, able to dissolve from oceans in less than a year, but it is also fully recyclable.
All of this is promising news for those looking to use less plastic in their daily lives. Studies show that 1.2 trillion pieces of plastic are polluting our oceans, a number that is expected to double every six years.
Plastic straws play a major role in that. By some estimates, the United States uses hundreds of millions of straws a day, and Europe uses more than 25 billion each year. That creates tons of waste that end up in landfills and the ocean.
Paper straws have been touted as a potential solution. But not only can paper straws become soggy and make drinking difficult, but they also come with surprising environmental concerns. A 2023 study of 20 paper straw brands found that 90% contained "forever chemicals," which can take thousands of years to break down.
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