Plastic can be programmed to have a lifespan of days, months or years

Inspired by natural polymers like DNA, chemists have devised a way to engineer plastic so it breaks down when it is no longer needed, rather than polluting the environment

By Matthew Sparkes
28 November 2025



We throw away hundreds of millions of tonnes of plastic each year
Cavan Images/Alamy

Chemical additions to plastic that mimic natural polymers like DNA can create materials that break down in days, months or years rather than littering the environment for centuries. Researchers hope their new technique will lead to plastic products that serve their purpose and then safely self-destruct.

In 2022, more than a quarter of a billion tonnes of plastic was discarded globally, and only 14 per cent was recycled – the rest was either burned or buried. The promise of a practical, biodegradable plastic has been around for at least 35 years, and there have been efforts to make such materials using everything from bamboo to seaweed. But, in truth, many such materials are difficult to compost and their producers make unrealistic claims.

Now, Yuwei Gu and his colleagues at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, are developing a technique to create plastics with finely-tuned lifespans that could quickly break down either in compost or in the natural environment.

Gu wondered why natural, long-stranded polymers like DNA and RNA can break down relatively quickly, but synthetic ones, such as plastics, can’t, and if there was a way to replicate their process.

More:
https://archive.is/20251128135251/https://www.newscientist.com/article/2506104-plastic-can-be-programmed-to-have-a-lifespan-of-days-months-or-years/#selection-789.0-817.45