50 years ago, scientists developed self-destructing plastic
Excerpt from the August 7, 1971 issue of Science News
In the 1970s, amid public calls for eco-friendly products, scientists developed plastic that could quickly break down when exposed to light. Fifty years later, plastic pollution is still a problem.
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This plastic will self-destruct — Science News, August 7, 1971
Public indignation over litter and garbage has caused industry to ask chemists whether self-destroying, or quickly degradable, plastics might be devised to replace indestructible … glass, aluminum and plastics, which comprise the largest segment of consumer waste.…