Scientists develop biodegradable algae-based flip-flops to reduce plastic waste in oceans

University of California San Diego scientists have created biodegradable flip-flops made from algae in a bid to reduce the amount of harmful plastic waste entering the oceans. According to a study, researchers created polyurethane foams, made from algae oil, to meet commercial specifications for flip-flops and other footwear usually made from flexible plastic. 

While the normal plastic slippers are used for a short period of time and then discarded, the researchers noted that the product takes hundreds of years to decompose. Scientists noted that the plastic slippers enter the oceans, kill marine life, and contaminate water supplies.

The new foam footwear made from algae degrades into compost and soil after 16 weeks. The researchers said that the foam meets commercial requirements for the foot-bed of flip-flops as well as the cushioning midsole section of shoes. 

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The co-author of the project, Stephen Mayfield, said, "The paper shows that we have commercial-quality foams that biodegrade in the natural environment. After hundreds of formulations, we finally achieved one that met commercial specifications. These foams are 52 per cent bio content—eventually, we'll get to 100 per cent”. 

According to reports, over the last 50 years, humans have generated more than six billion metric tons of plastic waste. Of this, only about 9 percent was reportedly recycled, 12 percent was incinerated add remaining 79 percent was left to accumulate in landfills or the natural environment. Mayfield noted that on some islands in the Indian Ocean, it is estimated that flip-flops and other simple shoes make up around 25 percent of the ocean plastic trash. 

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Harmless to marine life 

The UC San Diego researchers collaborated with an American startup company Algenesis Materials to develop polyurethane products. The scientists formulate polyurethane foams, made from algae oil, to meet the commercial specification for show parts. As per the study, the oil extracted from algae possess unique metabolic pathways for producing hydrocarbons that can be converted into plastic-making chemicals. 

Mayfield explained, “We redeveloped polyurethanes with bio-based monomers from scratch to meet the high material specifications for shoes, while keeping the chemistry suitable, in theory, so the shoes would be able to biodegrade”. 

The strap is also made from biodegradable material, although the scientists have not yet tried making it from their own polyurethane foam. Furthermore, the team informed that the foam is harmless to marine life, which often swallows plastic detritus after mistaking it for prey, having fatal consequences. 

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