CJ Biomaterials develops sugar-based bioplastics to combat microplastics

Researchers at CJ Biomaterials in Woburn, Massachusetts, are developing bioplastic alternatives to traditional fossil-fuel-based plastics to combat global plastic pollution and microplastic contamination.

Using a fermentation process, the company transforms sugar into plant-based polymers known as polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs). These pellets can be molded into various products, such as forks, straws, and flexible food packaging films. Unlike conventional plastics that fragment into persistent microplastics and nanoplastics, these biopolymers are designed to be consumed by microbes.

In laboratory composting tests, the materials showed varying degrees of breakdown; straws disappeared quickly, while forks and films began decomposing, and knives showed surface pitting as bacteria colonized them. While developers work to match the rigidity and stretch of traditional plastics, the growing concern over microplastics in food, water, and human tissue is driving increased interest in compostable material solutions.