Scientists at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have developed a new type of infinitely recyclable plastic that could be the solution to the world’s growing pollution problem. The plastic, known as poly(diketoenamine) or PDK, can be repeatedly broken down into pristine building blocks and reformed into new products without losing quality. 

This breakthrough comes at a crucial time when the world is facing a plastic waste crisis, with only 9% of plastics being recycled and the rest ending up in landfills, our oceans and natural environments. The new PDK plastic is made from bio-based materials, engineered by microbes, which makes it sustainable and infinitely recyclable. 

Researchers have been working on this for four years and have manipulated E. coli to turn plant sugars into the starting materials for PDK. They have produced a PDK with roughly 80% bio-content, which can be used for several products from adhesives to computer cables and even building materials. 

The study, published in the journal Nature Sustainability, also revealed that incorporating bioTAL into the PDK material expanded its working temperature range by up to 60 degrees Celsius compared to the petrochemical version. This opens the door for PDKs to be used in items that require specific working temperatures. 

The plastic waste problem is a global issue that needs to be tackled urgently. The new PDK plastic could be the solution to the world's growing pollution problem, and with further improvements to the production process, it could be cheaper and emit less CO2 than conventional plastics made from fossil fuels.