---
title: World’s first biodegradable and recyclable plastic developed with help of Q-Lab testers.
description: Polymateria, a startup located on Imperial College's campus, has developed the world's first polyethylene that is both recyclable and truly biodegradable in the natural environment.
image: https://blog.q-lab.com/hubfs/Polymateria_biodegradable_film.jpg
---
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# World’s first biodegradable and recyclable plastic developed with help of Q-Lab testers.
Posted by [Andy Francis](https://blog.q-lab.com/author/andy-francis) on Mar 17, 2021 1:25:48 PM
Polymateria, a startup located on Imperial College's campus, has developed the world's first polyethylene that is both recyclable and truly biodegradable in the natural environment. The material tested was a thin plastic film, but Polymateria also has rigid plastic material that also breaks down in the natural environment in less than a year, and is in the final phases of testing for recyclability.
The [article posted to Imperial College's website](https://www.imperial.ac.uk/news/215813/worlds-first-biodegradable-recyclable-plastic-developed/) features a photo of Polymateria's lab, with QUV and Q-SUN testers from Q-Lab featured prominently. Independent verification of the plastics' recylability was also provided by Impact Solutions, who are[longtime users of Q-Lab test equipment](https://q-lab.com/resources/case-studies/plastics%20testing).
This research illustrates how weathering test equipment can be used to test not just materials' durability, but their ability to break down as well.
Topics: [General](https://blog.q-lab.com/topic/general?hsLang=en), [Plastics](https://blog.q-lab.com/topic/plastics?hsLang=en)
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