[directevolve]

If the hydrophobic material has different properties than the plastic, they can complement each other. For example, soda cans have an inner coating that eliminates a soda pop-aluminum interface, preserving flavor and protecting the structural integrity of the can.

By analogy, we can imagine sheets of this material where nearly all the mass is the degradable plastic, and a thin film of coating is enough to preserve it adequately for its purpose in the product where it’s being used.