Researchers in the UK have developed a novel method to break down plastics using just ultraviolet (UV) light. Researchers at the University of Bath discovered that adding sugar units to polymers increases their degradability when exposed to UV radiation.
UV radiation has a wavelength of 10 nanometres (nm) to 400 nm, shorter than that of visible light, but longer than X-rays.
Many plastics that bear the biodegradable label can only be composted in industrial settings.
