China has unveiled a groundbreaking technology that converts dissolved carbon dioxide (CO₂) from seawater into biodegradable plastic a dual solution to ocean pollution and climate change.
Developed by scientists from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China the new process, called Direct Ocean Capture (DOC) removes CO₂ directly from seawater through electrochemical reactions. But what makes it remarkable is that the captured carbon isn’t just stored it’s transformed into useful plastic precursors.
The oceans hold nearly 150 times more CO₂ than the atmosphere, and excess levels are causing acidification that threatens marine ecosystems. By removing and reusing this carbon, researchers hope to clean ocean waters and create sustainable materials for industries.
Here how it works:
The system first acidifies seawater using electricity, converting the invisible dissolved CO₂ into pure gas. This gas is collected, while the treated seawater is restored to its natural state and returned to the ocean. Next, the CO₂ gas passes through another reactor containing a bismuth-based catalyst producing formic acid an energy-rich compound.
Then comes the biological twist. Modified marine bacteria, Vibrio natriegens, are fed this formic acid. They convert it into succinic acid a key ingredient for making biodegradable plastics like polybutylene succinate (PBS).
The process achieves 70% efficiency uses just 3 kWh of energy per kilogram of CO₂ and costs around $230 per ton cheaper and cleaner than most carbon capture technologies today.
Researchers say this innovation could soon feed into large-scale industrial systems to produce not just plastics, but also fuels, pharmaceuticals, and food chemicals. However, they’ll face competition Dutch company Brineworks claims it could reduce ocean CO₂ capture costs to under $200 per ton by 2030.
As the race to decarbonize heats up China ocean-based approach may become a major step toward both cleaning the seas and reshaping the plastics industry.