A US research group from the Berkeley Lab at the University of California has succeeded in modifying microbes in such a way that they produce sustainable, infinitely recyclable plastic.
“We have shown that 100 percent organic is possible in recyclable plastics,” says Jeremy Demarteau, who is responsible for the development of biopolymers in the project team. That’s what we’re going to focus on now. The organic share is currently around 80 percent. The researchers worked on the new type of plastic for four years.
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Microbes produce the biological raw material
According to the scientists, no fossil fuels such as oil are required for this. Instead, the microbes produce the biological precursor polydiketoenamine (PDK). It should be infinitely recyclable without losing its original quality. It is also significantly more heat-resistant than conventional plastics.
Project leader Brett Helms is convinced that this is a scientific breakthrough. “It’s the first time we’ve seen a biological advantage over using petrochemicals, both in terms of material properties and the cost of large-scale manufacturing,” says Helms.
An enzyme from a compost heap dissolves PET
The chemist Christian Sonnenecker and his team from the University of Leipzig are taking the opposite approach. In 2021, they discovered the enzyme PHL7 on a compost heap in the Leipzig cemetery. It can decompose PET without leaving any residue. At least in the lab. There, pure PET bottles dissolve in an enzyme solution within a few hours – in order to be processed into granules in the next step, from which a new plastic bottle can be made.
According to the researchers, the environmentally friendly recycling of PET through the activity of enzymes is an economically and ecologically interesting alternative to incineration, landfill or purely chemical recycling. They recently reported on their progress in the journal Nature. The technology should be ready for the market by 2030. Companies such as BASF and Volkswagen have already expressed interest. ch
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