Researchers Convert Ocean CO2 into Biodegradable Plastic in First Full Demonstration

Researchers in China have demonstrated a process that captures dissolved carbon dioxide from seawater and converts it into a biodegradable plastic precursor, addressing two major environmental challenges at once: excess CO2 and persistent plastic waste.

Teams at the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China and the Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology developed a method to extract dissolved CO2 directly from seawater and chemically transform it into succinic acid. Succinic acid is a key building block for polybutylene succinate (PBS), a class of biodegradable polymers used in products such as bottle caps, packaging and some consumer goods.

This approach differs from established direct air capture techniques by taking carbon directly out of the ocean. The world's oceans already absorb a large share of atmospheric CO2—an ongoing natural service that helps moderate global greenhouse gas levels and slows ocean acidification. If captured carbon can be turned into useful materials, it could create new incentives for removal while producing less-persistent plastics.

PBS and similar biodegradable polymers can break down more rapidly than conventional plastics under appropriate conditions, potentially reducing long-term litter and microplastic generation. Nevertheless, the practical benefits will depend on economic viability, the energy required for capture and conversion, and the conditions needed to ensure the resulting materials actually biodegrade in disposal systems or natural environments.

Plastic pollution remains widespread on land and at sea, and some waste is incinerated—an activity associated with air-pollution health risks. Producing degradable alternatives from captured carbon could help reduce plastic accumulation and some downstream harms, but it is not a standalone solution.

Experts emphasize that carbon-conversion technologies should complement, not replace, efforts to cut emissions at the source. Large-scale deployment will require thorough life-cycle analyses, assessments of ecological impacts, and demonstrations that the process can be scaled safely and affordably.

C.X. Xiang, a specialist in chemical physics and materials science at the California Institute of Technology who was not involved in the work, called it: "This is the first demonstration that's going from ocean carbon dioxide all the way to usable feedstock for bioplastic."

Future research will need to clarify the energy balance, costs, and environmental trade-offs of converting ocean CO2 into polymer feedstocks before this approach can be judged for widescale application.