Caption: A team led by researchers at the University of Washington has developed new bioplastics that degrade on the same timescale as a banana peel in a backyard compost bin. These bioplastics are made from powdered blue-green cyanobacteria cells, otherwise known as spirulina. Here Mallory Parker, UW materials science and engineering doctoral student, adds spirulina powder to a UW logo mold. Once this mold goes in the hot-press, it will generate a UW logo-shaped piece of plastic.

Credit: Mark Stone/University of Washington