Biomimicry, biodegradability and (bio)recyclability of polymers: challenges and opportunities

Two complementary approaches address polymer sustainability. Protein self-assembly, alone or with polysaccharides, can produce gels, emulsions, capsules and other functional materials for food, packaging or delivery. Selecting protein sources requires considering emissions, water use, eutrophication and animal welfare. A second presentation examines robust commodity plastics whose chemical stability frustrates recycling. It compares adding degradable sites after synthesis, incorporating cleavable comonomers during polymerization and directly breaking down existing polymers, while preserving useful material performance.