Shapable nature of tPB. (A) Preparation scheme and appearance of cup-shaped tPBtex. The liquid-filled shaped tPBtex was photographed within 30 min from filling of hot coffee. (B) Preparation protocol and appearance of straw-shaped tPBtex. The liquid-filled shaped tPBtex was photographed within 30 min from filling of iced butterfly pea tea. Credit: Science Advances (2025). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.ads2426
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Shapable nature of tPB. (A) Preparation scheme and appearance of cup-shaped tPBtex. The liquid-filled shaped tPBtex was photographed within 30 min from filling of hot coffee. (B) Preparation protocol and appearance of straw-shaped tPBtex. The liquid-filled shaped tPBtex was photographed within 30 min from filling of iced butterfly pea tea. Credit: Science Advances (2025). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.ads2426
A team of biomaterial engineers, environmental resource specialists and industrial design researchers affiliated with a host of institutions across Japan has developed a biodegradable material that is clear and can hold boiling water—and it degrades in less than a year after settling on the ocean floor. Their work is in the journal Science Advances.
Prior research has shown that millions of tons of plastics are piling up in the environment, including on the ocean floor. Because of this, scientists have been looking for better, biodegradable replacements. In this new effort, the research team has developed a paper-based, clear, biodegradable material that can stand up to liquids for several hours, even those that have been heated, allowing them to replace plastic cups, straws, and other everyday objects.
The research team made the material by starting with a standard cellulose hydrogel. After drying, the material was treated with an aqueous lithium bromide solution which forced the cellulose to solidify into desired shapes. The researchers note that end-products could be as thin as plastic cup walls, or as thick as desired. They describe the material as tPB, a transparent 3D material made solely of cellulose.
Fabrication of tPB. (A) Preparation scheme of tPB. "Powder" and "Textile" refer to MCC and nonwoven cellulose textile, respectively. A millimeter-thick tPB [the one with the thickness of 0.7 mm is shown with a smartphone (138 mm by 67 mm), and 1.5 mm is shown in the inset] was prepared by drying a centimeter-thick cellulose hydrogel produced by cellulose dissolution and coagulation in aqueous LiBr solution. Credit: Science Advances (2025). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.ads2426
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Fabrication of tPB. (A) Preparation scheme of tPB. "Powder" and "Textile" refer to MCC and nonwoven cellulose textile, respectively. A millimeter-thick tPB [the one with the thickness of 0.7 mm is shown with a smartphone (138 mm by 67 mm), and 1.5 mm is shown in the inset] was prepared by drying a centimeter-thick cellulose hydrogel produced by cellulose dissolution and coagulation in aqueous LiBr solution. Credit: Science Advances (2025). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.ads2426
Testing of the material showed it worked as well as standard drinking straws, with no signs of the collapse seen in paper straws that are used for very long. They also noted that cups made using the material leaked just a little bit after three hours—adding a plant-based resin coating stopped them from leaking at all.
The research team also tested the biodegradability of the material in a marine environment. They made several sheets of the material and placed some in shallow water, and others in very deep places. Prior research has shown that due to the cold temperatures at great depths, materials take longer to degrade. They found their new material degraded completely in less than 12 months in the deepest parts of the ocean.
Closed-loop recyclability. (A) tPBtex ("original"), solvent-recycled tPBtex, material-recycled tPBtex, and solvent-material–recycled tPBtex positioned ~10 cm in front of the leaves, shown with the haze values. Credit: Science Advances (2025). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.ads2426
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Closed-loop recyclability. (A) tPBtex ("original"), solvent-recycled tPBtex, material-recycled tPBtex, and solvent-material–recycled tPBtex positioned ~10 cm in front of the leaves, shown with the haze values. Credit: Science Advances (2025). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.ads2426
The final test involved how well the material could be recycled. The research team found it could be done easily enough, but that it became less transparent after being melted and reformed.
More information:
Noriyuki Isobe et al, Fully circular shapable transparent paperboard with closed-loop recyclability and marine biodegradability across shallow to deep sea, Science Advances (2025).
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A new biodegradable, transparent paper-based material can hold boiling water and degrades in under a year on the ocean floor. Made from cellulose hydrogel treated with lithium bromide, it can replace plastic items like cups and straws. It performs well in marine environments, degrading in less than 12 months even in deep ocean conditions. The material is recyclable, though it loses transparency after recycling.
This summary was automatically generated using LLM.