LAHB: Revolutionary Biodegradable Plastic for Ocean Preservation
The development of LAHB, a new plastic that biodegrades even in deep ocean environments, represents a significant breakthrough in sustainable materials science. This technology directly addresses one of the most pressing environmental concerns: plastic pollution. For businesses, this offers a huge opportunity to enhance their environmental credentials and meet increasing consumer demand for sustainable products. Industries ranging from packaging to textiles and consumer goods should explore adopting or investing in LAHB. Marketing campaigns can highlight the "ocean-friendly" or "deep-sea biodegradable" aspects of products, appealing to eco-conscious consumers and fulfilling corporate social responsibility goals.
Origin Reddit Post
r/science
A new eco-friendly plastic called LAHB has shown it can biodegrade even in the extreme environment of the deep ocean, unlike conventional plastics that persist for decades
Posted by u/FocusingEndeavor•07/27/2025
Top Comments
u/VoilaVoilaWashington
No, paper products would dissolve in the presence of watery sauces. You can't bring soup home in a paper bag. Cardboard take out containers are still coated in a plastic, just a thinner one.
u/[deleted]
[removed]
u/FocusingEndeavor
I’m sorry to hear you’re having trouble accessing the article. Hopefully this link helps:
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.polymdegradstab.2025.111527
u/Groffulon
I look forward to never hearing about this again because it will undoubtedly affect billionaires profits. Sounds great though!
u/FocusingEndeavor
I’m sorry to hear you’re having trouble accessing the article. Hopefully this link helps:
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.polymdegradstab.2025.111527
u/[deleted]
[removed]
u/Boltzmann_head
>Given the omnipresence of plastics that should have happened already if nature was up to it, no?
Likely, no: there is no set time that any organism will mutate and gain the ability to m
u/[deleted]
[removed]
u/Mj_bron
13 months is plenty of time to cause issues in the human body.
Better than potentially forever like current options, but also not studied - so maybe far better or maybe worse.
Interesting
u/FocusingEndeavor
*From the research paper:*
“In this study, deep-sea biodegradability of two LAHB films (6 % and 13 % LA-contained) at water depth of 855 m and the biodegradation scheme were investigated usi
u/VoilaVoilaWashington
This is the problem with every biodegradable plastic. Gelatin is kinda technically a biodegradable plastic. We know there are dozens of plastics today that all have completely different funct
u/FocusingEndeavor
I’m sorry to hear you’re having trouble accessing the article. Hopefully this link helps:
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.polymdegradstab.2025.111527
u/drubiez
This was my question
u/VoilaVoilaWashington
No, paper products would dissolve in the presence of watery sauces. You can't bring soup home in a paper bag. Cardboard take out containers are still coated in a plastic, just a thinner one.
u/StupidRedditUsername
A clamshell for take out could easily be a paper product. I’m sure that goes for a lot of things. No need for novel, slightly less environmentally awful, plastics.
u/FocusingEndeavor
That’s a great question! In this study, up to 80% of the LAHB films’ mass was lost from biodegradation over the course of 13 months. The rate of degradation within the human body might of co
u/Ornery-Creme-2442
There's some bacteria I believe
But they'll never eat it fast enough. So it's not a viable thing to depend on
u/Mj_bron
So if it biodegrades easier, that may be better for the environment.
What does it mean in relation to leaking microplastics? Will this be worse as it degrades faster?
u/redballooon
Given the omnipresence of plastics that should have happened already if nature was up to it, no?
u/gizzae
There are no organism on earth who can metabolite lignin, and that stuff is really long around.
u/alienbringer
If there is sufficient other material that the organism would survive off of, then mutations to survive off of plastics may not materialize. Since there isn’t a biological “need” quite yet. T
u/tree_squid
Is it a thermoplastic so it can be printed and replace PLA/PLA+?
u/Hyperion1144
>There was a problem providing the content you requested
So much for the article....
u/[deleted]
[removed]
u/redballooon
Given the omnipresence of plastics that should have happened already if nature was up to it, no?
u/Mj_bron
So if it biodegrades easier, that may be better for the environment.
What does it mean in relation to leaking microplastics? Will this be worse as it degrades faster?
u/limbodog
Will it degrade on the shelf at the store, or will it require some additional encouragement to do so?
u/Ornery-Creme-2442
There's some bacteria I believe
But they'll never eat it fast enough. So it's not a viable thing to depend on
u/StupidRedditUsername
A clamshell for take out could easily be a paper product. I’m sure that goes for a lot of things. No need for novel, slightly less environmentally awful, plastics.
u/VoilaVoilaWashington
This is the problem with every biodegradable plastic. Gelatin is kinda technically a biodegradable plastic. We know there are dozens of plastics today that all have completely different funct
u/FocusingEndeavor
*From the research paper:*
“In this study, deep-sea biodegradability of two LAHB films (6 % and 13 % LA-contained) at water depth of 855 m and the biodegradation scheme were investigated usi
u/AENocturne
If it were biodegradable, that would mean it could be metabolized, so anything that would leak out would be eaten by bacteria. Microplastics persist because nothing can metabolize modern plas
u/VoilaVoilaWashington
This is the problem with every biodegradable plastic. Gelatin is kinda technically a biodegradable plastic. We know there are dozens of plastics today that all have completely different funct
u/FocusingEndeavor
*From the research paper:*
“In this study, deep-sea biodegradability of two LAHB films (6 % and 13 % LA-contained) at water depth of 855 m and the biodegradation scheme were investigated usi
u/FocusingEndeavor
That’s a great question! In this study, up to 80% of the LAHB films’ mass was lost from biodegradation over the course of 13 months. The rate of degradation within the human body might of co
u/[deleted]
[removed]
u/Hyperion1144
>There was a problem providing the content you requested
So much for the article....
u/alienbringer
If there is sufficient other material that the organism would survive off of, then mutations to survive off of plastics may not materialize. Since there isn’t a biological “need” quite yet. T
u/StupidRedditUsername
A clamshell for take out could easily be a paper product. I’m sure that goes for a lot of things. No need for novel, slightly less environmentally awful, plastics.
u/Mj_bron
So if it biodegrades easier, that may be better for the environment.
What does it mean in relation to leaking microplastics? Will this be worse as it degrades faster?
u/FartyPants69
Seems like the latter. It's broken down only by a select set of microbes which are found in places where biofilms can accumulate (i.e., damp or wet conditions in natural environments). So, as
u/Ornery-Creme-2442
There's some bacteria I believe
But they'll never eat it fast enough. So it's not a viable thing to depend on
u/ToastedandTripping
Exactly, micro plastics are only a problem because of the fact that they don't degrade.
u/AENocturne
If it were biodegradable, that would mean it could be metabolized, so anything that would leak out would be eaten by bacteria. Microplastics persist because nothing can metabolize modern plas
u/Jazzlike_Wind_1
Well no, it could take a thousand or a million years. Random mutation and all that. Plastics are extremely durable too and obviously resilient to most solvents and volatile chemicals (hence w
u/[deleted]
[removed]
u/Groffulon
I look forward to never hearing about this again because it will undoubtedly affect billionaires profits. Sounds great though!
u/yagiz57
new study 2 years later.. "oops it all becomes even smaller microplastics mybaaad" but every milk carton uses it already
u/Mj_bron
13 months is plenty of time to cause issues in the human body.
Better than potentially forever like current options, but also not studied - so maybe far better or maybe worse.
Interesting
u/Smartnership
Scientists should study the average toddler, or perhaps every Labrador retriever
u/[deleted]
[removed]
u/SuspiciousStable9649
The problem is both function and biodegradable. You can’t say only ‘biodegradable’ or only ‘survives in the sun for a year at 98% strength’ independently. It has to be both. It has to hold
u/Mj_bron
13 months is plenty of time to cause issues in the human body.
Better than potentially forever like current options, but also not studied - so maybe far better or maybe worse.
Interesting
u/Mj_bron
Many thanks for the reply.
Knowing plastics though - I guess the follow up would be, how long the degradation process might take; could be an issue. If we continue absorbing them and become
u/Hyperion1144
>There was a problem providing the content you requested
So much for the article....
u/FartyPants69
Seems like the latter. It's broken down only by a select set of microbes which are found in places where biofilms can accumulate (i.e., damp or wet conditions in natural environments). So, as
u/yagiz57
new study 2 years later.. "oops it all becomes even smaller microplastics mybaaad" but every milk carton uses it already
u/yagiz57
new study 2 years later.. "oops it all becomes even smaller microplastics mybaaad" but every milk carton uses it already
u/ToastedandTripping
Exactly, micro plastics are only a problem because of the fact that they don't degrade.
u/Jazzlike_Wind_1
Well no, it could take a thousand or a million years. Random mutation and all that. Plastics are extremely durable too and obviously resilient to most solvents and volatile chemicals (hence w
u/Mj_bron
Many thanks for the reply.
Knowing plastics though - I guess the follow up would be, how long the degradation process might take; could be an issue. If we continue absorbing them and become
u/FartyPants69
Seems like the latter. It's broken down only by a select set of microbes which are found in places where biofilms can accumulate (i.e., damp or wet conditions in natural environments). So, as
u/tree_squid
Is it a thermoplastic so it can be printed and replace PLA/PLA+?
u/[deleted]
[removed]
u/Hyperion1144
>There was a problem providing the content you requested
So much for the article....
u/Boltzmann_head
>Microplastics persist because nothing can metabolize modern plastic....
Perhaps something will evolve that "eats" plastic.
u/AENocturne
If it were biodegradable, that would mean it could be metabolized, so anything that would leak out would be eaten by bacteria. Microplastics persist because nothing can metabolize modern plas
u/Boltzmann_head
>Given the omnipresence of plastics that should have happened already if nature was up to it, no?
Likely, no: there is no set time that any organism will mutate and gain the ability to m
u/SuspiciousStable9649
The problem is both function and biodegradable. You can’t say only ‘biodegradable’ or only ‘survives in the sun for a year at 98% strength’ independently. It has to be both. It has to hold
u/Boltzmann_head
>Microplastics persist because nothing can metabolize modern plastic....
Perhaps something will evolve that "eats" plastic.
u/Mj_bron
Many thanks for the reply.
Knowing plastics though - I guess the follow up would be, how long the degradation process might take; could be an issue. If we continue absorbing them and become
u/Groffulon
I look forward to never hearing about this again because it will undoubtedly affect billionaires profits. Sounds great though!
u/Smartnership
Scientists should study the average toddler, or perhaps every Labrador retriever
u/redballooon
Given the omnipresence of plastics that should have happened already if nature was up to it, no?
u/drubiez
This was my question
u/Smartnership
Scientists should study the average toddler, or perhaps every Labrador retriever
u/FocusingEndeavor
That’s a great question! In this study, up to 80% of the LAHB films’ mass was lost from biodegradation over the course of 13 months. The rate of degradation within the human body might of co
u/Boltzmann_head
>Given the omnipresence of plastics that should have happened already if nature was up to it, no?
Likely, no: there is no set time that any organism will mutate and gain the ability to m
u/FocusingEndeavor
I’m sorry to hear you’re having trouble accessing the article. Hopefully this link helps:
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.polymdegradstab.2025.111527
u/limbodog
Will it degrade on the shelf at the store, or will it require some additional encouragement to do so?
u/gizzae
There are no organism on earth who can metabolite lignin, and that stuff is really long around.
u/Mj_bron
So if it biodegrades easier, that may be better for the environment.
What does it mean in relation to leaking microplastics? Will this be worse as it degrades faster?
u/ToastedandTripping
Exactly, micro plastics are only a problem because of the fact that they don't degrade.
u/limbodog
Will it degrade on the shelf at the store, or will it require some additional encouragement to do so?
u/FocusingEndeavor
*From the research paper:*
“In this study, deep-sea biodegradability of two LAHB films (6 % and 13 % LA-contained) at water depth of 855 m and the biodegradation scheme were investigated usi
u/drubiez
This was my question
u/tree_squid
Is it a thermoplastic so it can be printed and replace PLA/PLA+?
u/Jazzlike_Wind_1
Well no, it could take a thousand or a million years. Random mutation and all that. Plastics are extremely durable too and obviously resilient to most solvents and volatile chemicals (hence w
u/drubiez
This was my question
u/SuspiciousStable9649
The problem is both function and biodegradable. You can’t say only ‘biodegradable’ or only ‘survives in the sun for a year at 98% strength’ independently. It has to be both. It has to hold
u/VoilaVoilaWashington
No, paper products would dissolve in the presence of watery sauces. You can't bring soup home in a paper bag. Cardboard take out containers are still coated in a plastic, just a thinner one.
u/AENocturne
If it were biodegradable, that would mean it could be metabolized, so anything that would leak out would be eaten by bacteria. Microplastics persist because nothing can metabolize modern plas
u/Boltzmann_head
>Microplastics persist because nothing can metabolize modern plastic....
Perhaps something will evolve that "eats" plastic.