University of Edinburgh start-up develops new plastic that ‘self-destructs’ in the ocean

E.V.A Biosystems, a start up at The University of Edinburgh, has developed a new type of plastic that can “sense its surroundings” and will degrade upon contact with water in landfills or the sea.

The material is specifically designed to break down without generating microplastics that are harmful to both human and animal health.

This innovation presents an eco-conscious alternative to chemical degradation which creates microplastic waste.

The product aims to tackle plastic pollution, differentiating itself from other similar products that are considered “too expensive” to be commercially feasible.

Technology that is able to efficiently and safely degrade plastic has historically been “too difficult and costly to implement on a large enough scale to matter.”

E.V.A Biosystems claims to have changed this trend. Their product operates by adding a special bacteria to plastic which activates an enzyme when submerged, causing it to “self-destruct”.

Dr Alexander Speakman, founder of E.V.A Biosystems, explains that the product “works with existing plastics, making them ‘smart’ enough to break down when they end up where they shouldn’t be, like in our oceans or landfills”.

The business has been recognised for their groundbreaking work at the 2024 Converge Awards, where they won the top prize in the Net Zero category.

£30,000 was awarded for their work on the product and a further £19,500 were provided by SSE and industry partners to fund future business development.

The annual competition recognises innovation and entrepreneurship at Scottish Universities and is open to students, staff and recent graduates.

Rosie Bristow, an entrepreneur from Heriot-Watt scooped up the Create Change prize at last years Converge Awards. Her company, Fantasy Fibre Mill, produces natural fibre yarn and contributes to sustainable development of the fashion industry by working with regenerative agriculture methods.

Other start ups from the University of Edinburgh have similarly shone a light on the viability of environmentally friendly business.

Sunsave Solutions, run by Mekila Ngwambe provides low-income households with “clean solar electricity” while Danu Robotics, run by Xioyan Ma, uses a robotic system to improve the efficiency of the recycling industry.

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