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October 26, 2020

Turning waste methane into plastic?


Dr. Molly Morse, CEO and Co-Founder of Mango Materials, describes the company's novel process for turning methane gas from a waste-water treatment plant into biodegradable plastics. Mango Materials was supported through the U.S. National Science Foundation's Small Business Innovation Research program. Plastics, also called polymers, have enabled revolutionary changes to society, from enhancing safe medical care, to food storage, to everyday conveniences from your toothbrush to your TV. But the properties that make plastic advantageous, namely that it is cheap and sturdy, also pose challenges for how to dispose or repurpose plastics to keep them from entering the environment.

Credit: National Science Foundation


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