Plastic alternatives made from renewable materials often struggle to match the strength, heat resistance and processing ability of conventional plastics. A new bamboo-based bioplastic takes a different approach, reorganising cellulose at the molecular level to produce a material that is both strong and easier to shape. The researchers used a hydrated zinc chloride and formic…

What started with concerns about access to clean drinking water eventually led three Indian teenagers to an idea that could offer a remarkably simple way of tackling microplastic contamination. Vivaan Chhawchharia, Ariana Agarwal and Avyana Mehta, all 16, developed Plas-Stick, a biodegradable powder made from discarded tamarind seeds that can bind tiny plastic particles in…