Super Compost Bacteria Could Make Plastics 100% Recyclable
Plastics play a huge role in our daily lives, – especially in medicine, where “cost-effective” is a keyword – and this advance may help change the way we approach recycling the hardy material.
Scientists have created a new bacterial enzyme that can break down plastic bottles, which could drastically change ‘green’ initiative efforts and how we deal with microplastics.
Researchers from the University of Toulouse, France, made the discovery after 100 000 micro-organisms were studied for any potential of the aforementioned quality.
They then introduced mutant strains to enhance a reaction that would essentially “eat” plastics.
One such mutation was deemed a success after it consumed 90% of the PET – polyethylene terephthalate, the most common polyester plastic – in one ton of plastic bottles in just 10 hours.
The technology is a huge advance, despite still being in its infancy, and the research team has partnered with major plastic bottle manufacturers, such as Pepsi and L’Oreal. Through this partnership, it aims to streamline the process into a behemoth-scale recycling project within five years.
