These Scientists Are Fighting Ocean Plastic With Biodegradable Flip Flops Made From Algae

A lot of thought has been thrown into using algae as a replacement for general plastics in the creation of consumer goods, and now some California researchers have applied this technology to one of the ocean’s greatest polluting enemies, flip flops. As the world’s most popular shoe, the flip flop accounts for a huge amount of plastic waste that ends up in the ocean. According to some models, they they account for up to a quarter of all plastic in our seas.

UC San Diego partnered with the startup company Algenesis Materials to produce a commercial grade polyurethane foam using algae oil. This foam is then used to create a sturdy flip flop that will biodegrade in around 16 weeks. With a biomass content of around 52%, the flip flops are still fully biodegradable, but that hasn’t stopped the collaboration from looking to create a 100% biomass shoe.

“People are coming around on plastic ocean pollution and starting to demand products that can address what has become an environmental disaster. We happen to be at the right place at the right time.” Tom Cooke, president of Algenesis

In testing to see whether or not the polyurethane algae flip flops would degrade, the team buried them in compost and normal soil. Having discovered the 16-week decomposition time frame, Mayfield et al. also discovered that the varieties of bacteria and other microorganisms that were working to break down the shoe left parts of it intact in a way that would allow them to be reused.

Image source: ucsdnews.ucsd.edu

“We took the enzymes from the organisms degrading the foams and showed that we could use them to depolymerize these polyurethane products. We then showed that we could isolate the depolymerized products and use those to synthesize new polyurethane monomers, completing a ‘bioloop.’” Steven Mayfield, professor of biology at UC San Diego

Monomers and polymers refer to the molecular structures that make up plastic.

“Our polyurethane can be used for foam cushions in chair seats or car seats, padding in luggage straps, yoga mats, foam insulation, and even car tires,” Steven Mayfield, professor of biology at UC San Diego

The efforts of the scientists like Mayfield, and the manufacturers at Algensis, led to the establishment of the Center for Renewable Materials at UC San Diego, which focuses on the development of sustainable solutions to consumer plastic pollution using algae.