A team of scientists at Rutgers University has developed a new type of plastic that remains strong during use but can be designed to break down naturally after a set period, potentially offering a powerful solution to the global plastic pollution crisis. The research, inspired by the way DNA and proteins degrade in nature, could change how plastics are made, used and discarded.
The idea was sparked during a hike. Yuwei Gu, a chemist at Rutgers University, was walking through Bear Mountain State Park in New York when he noticed plastic bottles scattered along the trail and floating in a nearby lake. The sight of synthetic waste persisting in a natural environment prompted him to reflect on a long-standing scientific puzzle: why natural polymers like DNA and proteins break down over time, while man-made plastics remain intact for decades.
According to Gu, the answer lay in chemistry. Natural polymers contain small structural features that allow their chemical bonds to weaken and break at the right moment. Synthetic plastics, by contrast, are designed for durability alone, with no built-in exit strategy.
In research published in the journal Nature Chemistry, Gu and his colleagues demonstrated that copying these natural structural features makes it possible to create plastics that degrade under everyday conditions, without the need for extreme heat or harsh chemicals. By carefully arranging chemical groups within the polymer, the scientists were able to control when and how quickly the material breaks apart.
The researchers described the approach as “programmable degradation.” Depending on how the polymer is designed, the plastic can remain intact for days, months or even years. In some cases, degradation can be activated later using ultraviolet light or simple chemical signals such as metal ions. Despite the built-in weak points, the plastic retains its strength and functionality during normal use.
This ability to tailor a plastic’s lifespan could allow materials to be matched more closely to their purpose. Packaging used for food or single-use products could be designed to degrade rapidly, while plastics used in vehicles or construction could last for many years before breaking down. The same chemistry could also be applied in medicine, including timed drug delivery systems and temporary medical coatings.
Gu said early laboratory tests suggest that the liquid produced when the plastic breaks down is non-toxic, though he stressed that extensive long-term safety studies are still required. The team is now examining whether the small fragments left behind after degradation pose any environmental or biological risks.
The researchers are also exploring how their method could be integrated into existing plastic manufacturing processes and applied to commonly used commercial plastics. Collaboration with industry partners focused on sustainability may help bring the technology closer to real-world use.
For Gu, the long-term goal is simple: plastics should perform their function and then disappear, rather than accumulating in the environment.
By borrowing a basic structural principle from nature, the researchers believe they have taken an important step toward plastics that no longer last forever and toward a future with far less plastic waste.