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A new eco-friendly plastic called LAHB has shown it can biodegrade even in the extreme environment of the deep ocean, unlike conventional plastics that persist for decades

You know how plastic trash just… never goes away? Bottles, bags, and wrappers stick around for centuries, piling up in landfills and floating in the ocean. It’s depressing. But scientists might have finally found a solution that actually works in the real world—not just in a lab.

Meet LAHB, a new type of eco-friendly plastic that can biodegrade even in the deep ocean. Yeah, the deep ocean—where most plastics stubbornly refuse to break down. Researchers tested it under extreme conditions (think cold, dark, and high pressure), and LAHB still decomposed within months. That’s wild compared to regular plastic, which sticks around for decades (or longer).

Why does this matter?
– Most “biodegradable” plastics need specific conditions to break down, like sunlight or heat. The ocean doesn’t always provide those.
– LAHB doesn’t rely on perfect conditions—it degrades even in tough environments, which means less long-term pollution.
– It’s made by bacteria, not fossil fuels, so producing it could also cut down on carbon emissions.

Of course, it’s not a magic fix. We still need to use less plastic overall. But if we’re going to use it, something like LAHB could seriously reduce the damage.

The catch? Right now, it’s expensive to make, and scaling up production will take time. But it’s a promising step—one that could actually help clean up our mess.

What do you think? Would you pay a little extra for plastic that doesn’t outlive your great-grandkids?