Innovative Recycling: Plastic-Eating Enzymes

Source: Vencavolrab on Getty Images

By Emily Sulkey, GSP Blog Team Contributor

October 26, 2020

On average, it takes 450 to 1,000 years for one plastic bottle to decompose. Plastics do not biodegrade entirely: they either experience photodegradation from exposure to sunlight, or they simply degrade into smaller bits. However, recent groundbreaking research has suggested that plastics can be broken down in just a few days, thanks to engineered enzymes.

About halfway between Hawai’i and California, a large accumulation of plastic waste exists known as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. This patch is the largest in the world at a stasggering 1.6 million square kilometers, which is roughly the size of Mexico, and contains about 80,000 tons. This is very detrimental to sea life, as plastic can pose choking hazards for fish and turtles and is harmful if ingested. As plastic consumption continues to increase, so does the need for action to combat global warming.

That’s where plastic-eating enzymes come in. A plastic-eating bacteria was discovered at a research facility in 2016 in Japan. In 2018, scientists at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Colorado and the Centre for Enzyme Innovation in the United Kingdom have improved the efficiency of these organisms’ ability to deconstruct PET. PET, an acronym for polyethylene terephthalate, is a prevalent type of plastic in bottles, carpets, and even some clothing items.

Just a few weeks ago, it was revealed that the researchers in the UK have worked to combine the DNA from PETase, which deals with the surface of plastics, and MHETase, which further breaks up the material, into a “super-enzyme.” This invention seems to deconstruct plastic an astounding six times faster than the rate observed in 2018. The plastic pollution problem could be solved by limiting production, but these enzymes could allow manufacturers to reuse pre-existing plastics. This would greatly reduce the impact and necessity of fossil fuels, which are commonly used to produce new plastics. This could help to lessen the effects of global warming.

Now is the time to take action: be mindful of the materials that you choose to purchase and how you dispose of them, because you play a vital role in the planet’s health.