A new study headed by the Institut de Ciències del Mar (ICM-CSIC) in Barcelona, in which the Instituto de Investigaciones Mariñas (IIM-CSIC) in Vigo has also participated, has disclosed the fact that PLA plastic, of biological and biodegradable origin, does not degrade in the marine environment any faster compared to plastics obtained from petroleum polystyrene, polystyrene, or polyethylene.
Humanity has come to heavily rely on the benefits that plastics offer and their application can be found in almost every aspect of daily life. However, the major downside of this reliance on synthetic polymer-based materials is that it has been scientifically proven they are contributing to some of humanity's most-serious environmental issues.