In a development that could reshape the beauty and personal care industry, MIT chemical engineers have created biodegradable polymers to replace microplastic beads found in cleansers and cosmetics. These new materials break down into harmless sugars and amino acids, potentially offering a solution to one source of global microplastic pollution. The Environmental Crisis Microplastics are found nearly everywhere on Earth. These minute plastic particles, released by the breakdown of tires, clothing, and plastic packaging, have even been detected in human bodies. Beauty products containing plastic microbeads contribute substantially to this contamination. Ana Jaklenec, principal investigator at MIT’s Koch Institute for … Continue reading MIT’s Biodegradable Polymers Aim to Replace Microplastics in Beauty Products