April 16, 2026
Scientists at the University of Waterloo, Canada, have developed an innovative method to tackle plastic waste. They have used sunlight to produce acetic acid from plastic, creating a useful product from a substance that takes a very long time to degrade. This technique employs photocatalysis to generate acetic acid by breaking plastic down, just like organic materials are broken down by some fungi species. Plastic pollution has been a grave problem and methods such as burning plastic waste negatively affect the environment. However, this method offers a relatively cleaner way to deal with plastic pollution.
DID YOU KNOW?
The first plastic that was fully synthetic was known as Bakelite and was created in 1907 by a chemist named Leo Baekeland.
Image for representational purposes
