iNaturalist:
Sugar maple spotting slows as Canada's fall color fades
iNaturalist:
Red oak spotting slows down as fall colors fade
iNaturalist:
This fuzzy forest moss is suddenly everywhere in Canada
iNaturalist:
Milkweed sightings stay high across Canada as autumn sets in
iNaturalist:
Invasive buckthorn sightings surge across Canada this week
iNaturalist:
Pokeweed sightings dip slightly as fall observation seaso...
iNaturalist:
This weedy wetland plant is everywhere on iNaturalist this week
iNaturalist:
Eastern redcedar is having a moment on iNaturalist this week
iNaturalist:
Sugar maple spotting slows as Canada's fall color fades
iNaturalist:
Red oak spotting slows down as fall colors fade
iNaturalist:
This fuzzy forest moss is suddenly everywhere in Canada
iNaturalist:
Milkweed sightings stay high across Canada as autumn sets in
New plastic combines everyday durability with much easier breakdown
PubMed · 2026-10-22
Scientists engineered a new plastic that mimics polyethylene's strength and durability but breaks down far more easily, both through chemical recycling and natural biodegradation. The trick was redesigning the molecule so its breakable chemical links sit in the plastic's soft zones instead of being locked inside rigid crystal structures.
1
Tensile strength exceeds 18.7 MPa with lap-shear adhesion up to 15.3 MPa, rivaling conventional polyethylene performance
2
The plastic fully depolymerizes into separable soluble oligomers via methanolysis at ambient pressure, even when mixed with other plastic waste
3
Biodegradation (mineralization) occurs 2.3 times faster than in conventional polyethylene-like analogues