Cactus-based plastic created in Mexico

An alternative to traditional plastic was recently developed at the Universidad del Valle de Atemajac in Mexico. Unlike regular plastic, this new material is biodegradable.

The issue of environmental pollution is more critical than ever before, and scientists all around the globe are working on developing new materials that would not pollute the planet. Mexican scientists have achieved success in this area, creating a biodegradable plastic out of cactus juice.

The rate of degradation of the new material depends on the environment surrounding it: this process can take up to a month in soil or just several days in water.

The creators insist that this development can be used as food for both people and animals. Cactus-based plastic synthesis is currently done under laboratory conditions, strictly controlled by scientists. The process takes approximately 10 days.

In the future, this process will be sped up, with the new plastic completely replacing the old one: this will only happen when the technology is sent to industrial mass production.