Xampla – a startup spun out of the University of Cambridge wants to replace micro plastics — and other plastics that are hard or impossible to recycle—with a plant-based material that can easily dissolve, using materials that mimics spider silk, one of the strongest natural materials on a molecular level. Micro plastics are used in many common household products from laundry detergent, cosmetics and even clothing, and end up being washed down the drain, polluting waterways.