Mehran Ghasemlou, the lead author of the study, tells PackagingInsights the invention was inspired by the “notoriously water-repellent lotus leaf,” which is native to Northern Australia. 

“Lotus leaves are renowned for having some of the most water-repellent surfaces on earth and are almost impossible to get dirty. This is due to the leaf’s surface structure – tiny pillars topped with a waxy layer,” he says. 

“Any water that lands on the leaf remains a droplet, simply rolling off, and the droplets sweep up dirt as they slide down, keeping the leaf clean. Our bioplastic mimics that surface structure to achieve the same effect.”