Plastic Waste in Laboratories
Drug discovery labs use significant amounts of plastic, including tips, pipettes, bottles, and more.
Despite some recycling, less than 10% of global plastic is recycled, leading to billions of tonnes of plastic in the environment.
Enzyme Development for Plastic Degradation
The natural enzymes that break down plastics like polyethylene terephthalate (PET) are slow, but scientists are working on engineering them to work faster.
One engineered enzyme can break down 90% of PET waste in just 17 hours, making the process more feasible for industrial use.
Speed remains a crucial factor for these solutions to be scalable and efficient in large-scale operations.
Efforts are underway to improve the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of these enzymes.
Bacteria for Plastic Degradation
Some scientists are working with bacteria that can degrade different types of plastics, such as PET, polyolefins, and polyamides (like nylon).
These microbes can break down plastics into carbon dioxide, water, and biomass, but the process is slower compared to enzymes.
Research is focused on improving the speed and effectiveness of microbes for industrial applications.
The challenge is to make these microbes versatile enough to handle a wider variety of plastics.
Creating Biodegradable Plastics
Researchers are exploring the possibility of creating biodegradable plastics from scratch using bacteria.
One method involves incorporating heat-resistant bacterial spores into plastics, which are activated in compost to help degrade the material.
While the process can take several months, it offers a potential solution for creating plastics that can be broken down naturally.
Unlike enzymes, which require purification, using bacteria in plastics could be more scalable as they can replicate and be used in small amounts.
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