50
submitted 1 year ago by number6@feddit.nl to c/science@lemmy.ml

Researchers at Virginia Tech have found a way to upcycle plastic into soap. Around 120 grams to 130 grams of plastic can make 100 grams of soap.

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[-] number6@feddit.nl 3 points 1 year ago

Because it gives economic value to plastics, helping to pull them out of the waste stream.

[-] CobblerScholar@lemmy.world 7 points 1 year ago

Its a bandaid no different than using plastics in roads or for backfill. The plastic needs to chemically change into something that is processable by nature without fucking everything up

[-] number6@feddit.nl 4 points 1 year ago

Changing it into soap does change it chemically. It becomes just like the soap you use every day.

[-] bernieecclestoned@sh.itjust.works 3 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Nature, bacteria, has already evolved to process plastic

Edit. Literally a few posts down on my feed

https://lemmy.world/post/4075369

[-] CobblerScholar@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago

On a scale far below anything that we can reasonably count on anytime soon and only under certain conditions. It won't be the miracle solution to the mountains of plastic we've produced over the last century

Scale changes everything

this post was submitted on 29 Aug 2023
50 points (93.1% liked)

Science

13160 readers
18 users here now

Subscribe to see new publications and popular science coverage of current research on your homepage


founded 5 years ago
MODERATORS