UMD researchers say biodegradable plastic alternative could reach produce aisles by year end

[00:00:00]New this morning, let's talk about finding a global solution to problems associated with microplastics. So, in College Park, a team of researchers say they are close to the answer. Now, we all know it's cheap and convenient.

[00:00:12]We're all using them. Plastic bags, plastic wrap, plastic water bottles.

[00:00:16]But, the problem is when these plastics start to degrade, microscopic bits of plastic end up in our water, our soil, our food supply, which means it's ending up in our bodies. Scientists say microplastics are accumulating in our brains and organs. So, the search is on to find a biodegradable alternative to the common plastics that we all use so frequently. And that's what you're seeing right here. Research happening at the University of Maryland College Park campus. There are chemical and biomolecular engineers leading this research, and I spoke with two of them about some of the biggest hurdles. One, how do you come up with and manufacture a cost-effective alternative? And, how do you get it to perform just like plastic? Well, they're using machine learning and AI to try and find the perfect formula.

[00:01:01]>> When you tuning your formulation for one performance, sometimes you're losing the other performance. Uh for example, you I want to enhance oil resistance, I'm decreasing my water resistance. So, it is it is a trade-off.

[00:01:14]>> If you want to try and do like millions of different samples, uh it would take several years to do that.

[00:01:20]So, we use machine learning and AI to like narrow down the search space and accelerate the design of these materials.

[00:01:27]>> So, basically, they're using a process that before AI it could take several years, but now they can design a sample for testing in just 7 to 15 days. And they think they found the right formula using a cellulose material that's found in shrimp and crab shells.

[00:01:42]Now, they're optimistic we could see mass production begin before the end of the year. Now, one of the interesting things that Dr. Chen told me is that he was on a scuba trip in the Pacific a couple years ago, and he saw a turtle eating a plastic bag in the ocean, and that affected him because he just thought initially it was well, just the media promoting the biodegradable plastic when talking about all this, but to see it with his own eyes, he said it was pretty startling. He's been at it for about 3 years now, and I have to say all of this is so exciting, but one of the most disappointing things that I found during my conversation with them is that they don't have a name for this yet.

[00:02:16]>> Ah.

[00:02:16]>> Right? They've developed this awesome thing that has the potential to change the world, but nothing. I suggested maybe terp wrap.

[00:02:23]That was met by just a stone-faced silence.

[00:02:25]>> Oh, no, that's I like that.

[00:02:26]>> Didn't register. So, we have to somehow connect them with the marketing team over there at UMD to see if they can try to come up with something.

[00:02:32]>> Terp wrap has a nice ring to it.

[00:02:34]>> with the shell and the crabs. There's There's There's something there to happen, but uh they're They're doing incredible work, and it's so important because they've got all this plastic out there floating in the ocean and the landfills, and it's just not breaking down.

[00:02:45]>> Yeah. All right, good stuff. Well, now to the latest out