WIP.

The feasibility of the project depends on three factors: material research, bioreceptivity research, design research, and impact research.

According to studies, it takes about 80 years for PLA to decompose naturally (source: https://3dinsider.com/is-pla-biodegradable/). Under ideal composting conditions, this can be reduced to several months or a few years, a great timescale for plant development. According to a survey done by the German Environmental Aid on almost 1000 composting plants in Germany at least a year ago, about 95% of them are not qualified to handle composting of bioplastics according to set environmental standards (source: https://3dinsider.com/is-pla-biodegradable/).

The decomposition of PLA is influenced by several factors:

• Temperature. Ideal temperature is between 50 to 60 degrees Celsius.
• Moisture. Ideal moisture is between 50 and 70%. Excessive moisture can hinder the degradation process.
• Oxygen. PLA is an aerobic biodegradable material, so adequate oxygen levels facilitate its breakdown.
• pH. A slightly acidic pH (from 6 to 7) is favorable.
• Presence of Microorganisms. Microorganisms like bacteria and fungi play a crucial role, since thye produce enzymes that can break down the polymer chains.

Out of these factors, we can't control temperature, moisture, or pH. Oxygen is a given. We may be able to increase the presence of bacteria and fungi by "seeding" the material before releasing it to the wild.

TODO. List of types PLAs and their bioreceptivity properties.

TODO.

TODO.

The design should be "porous, labyrinthic, and water-retentive". Should be able to hold buffers and micro-climates.

TODO.

• https://medium.com/@steve3dprinters/is-pla-really-a-biodegradable-plastic-for-3d-printing-d5e088dec006
• https://3dinsider.com/is-pla-biodegradable/
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_Gh-3PQhiE
• Urban Reef (https://www.urbanreef.nl/).
• Elsawy 2017.
• Verkerk 2023 (https://repository.tudelft.nl/islandora/object/uuid:42798dca-c44b-4b42-bc4c-65c4d7d1276a).
• Kai-Lai 1999 (https://link.springer.com/article/10.1023/A:1021808317416).
• Nor Fasihah 2020 (https://4spepublications.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/pen.25511).