Australian researchers plan new generation of biodegradable plastic

FILE - A worker collects garbage, most of which is plastic and domestic waste, along the shore of Jakarta, Indonesia, June 8, 2023.

Global concerns over plastic pollution and cuts to fossil fuel use are behind a new Australian-led initiative to develop a new generation of 100 percent compostable plastic. Experts estimate that more than 170 trillion pieces of plastic are floating in the world's oceans. There are growing concerns about the impact of micro-plastics on health and the environment.