How scientists are working on silk as a greener alternative to microplastics

MIT researchers have developed a biodegradable system based on silk to replace microplastics. Photo: AFP

Engineers in the United States may have found a solution for replacing the microplastics used in paints, food and cosmetics. And the answer lies in a natural fibre known to all: silk.

Whether in our cosmetics, in our clothes or on our plates, microplastics are everywhere. In response to this growing pollution problem, American scientists from the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have come up with an alternative that is surprisingly sourced from silkworms.