Large amounts of plastics pollute our environment every day. Do you know how long these plastics persist in nature? Hundreds of years, and even worse, in nature these plastics fall apart into tiny particles called microplastics, which are so small that they can be taken up by animals or plants and accumulate in the food chain. Eventually, they’ll also end up on our own plate. In fact, scientists already confirmed the presence of microplastics in human blood and from there they can spread to our organs and brains. A very big concern. At Paques Biomaterials we have developed a natural alternative to plastic, that doesn’t create microplastics. And better, we can make it from organic waste using bacteria. In the process our bacteria feast on organic waste and become extremely fat. And this bacterial fat, once harvested from the cell, is just as strong, lightweight and flexible as normal plastics, and can be used in the same types of applications. However, when this material accidentally leaks into the environment, microbes present in nature still recognize this as food and eat it. In this way, microplastics are avoided and mankind can continue to enjoy the convenience of plastics without jeopardising environment and health.