I am a microbiologist with long time experience from applied research on microbial processes and ecology in oil reservoirs, as well as biodegradation of hydrocarbon and biopolymers.
The recent years my research interest has increasingly turned towards plastic research, focusing on effects of plastic pollution on microbial ecology in natural environments as well as industrial processes such as biogas production from waste containing microplastic.
Biodegradable plastics may be portrayed as the solution to combat environmental plastic pollution. Fellow scientist across Europe and I think that biodegradable plastics may be part of the solution, but that more research is needed on the ecological consequences associated with biodegradable plastics in natural environments. A special concern are the potential consequences of long-term use of agricultural mulch film that is tilled into the soil after use. Read more about this in the recent SAPEA report, Biodegradability of plastics in the open environment: https://www.sapea.info/topics/biodegradability-of-plastics
