March 28, 2024

Scientists have discovered in compost from leaves an enzyme that breaks down plastic in a few hours

Scientists have discovered in compost from leaves an enzyme that breaks down plastic in a few hours

Researchers found compost leaves in a pilea bacterial enzyme that cleaves plastic bottles into complex, recyclable chemicals in a few hours.

One of the options for solving the problem of pollutionplanet's plastic waste is to recycle it. However, existing processing technologies typically produce products that are only suitable for clothing and carpeting. Therefore, scientists from the University of Toulouse began searching for moreeffective solutions.

During the study, they analyzed 100,000microorganisms, having discovered a promising candidate in leaf compost. After isolating and studying the enzyme's properties, the team made additional mutations to make it more efficient at breaking down plastic used in drink bottles. They also made it stable at 72°C – optimal decomposition temperature.

The researchers applied an optimizedenzyme to break down tons of shredded plastic bottles that were 90% broken down within 10 hours. They then used this material to create new high-quality plastic bottles suitable for food storage. The cost of the enzyme was only 4% of the cost of virgin plastic.

The team organized Carbios with a plan to reach large industrial volumes by 2025.

Scientists are also actively developing technologies for processing other hazardous waste. Recently, a team from Singapore found a way to produce aerogels from waste rubber tires.

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