Scientists at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) have identified a new version of cellulose diacetate (CDA) – a bioplastic made from wood pulp – that degrades faster in seawater than any other bioplastic material they’ve tested, including paper.

By adding tiny pores, a process known as foaming, to the CDA structure, the material was found to break down 15 times faster than its solid form. The findings, published in ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering, offer a promising alternative to traditional plastic foams, such as Styrofoam, which can linger in the environment for many years.

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