Recently, some scientists have been working on an enzyme that can break down plastic into molecules. The enzyme is developed in Carbios. This enzyme breaks PET plastic bottles into simpler composites, which can be used later to make new bottles. This can be very useful research as it can save the environment from waste plastic products.
Conventionally recycled plastic is not much useful. It can be used as a by-product of clothing and carpets only. However, if this recycling technique is used, it can be much more useful.
Carbios have partnered with major brands such as L’Oreal and Pepsi to develop this technology. Nature today is a journal which published all the scientific paper with all the details about this discovery.
This “PET hydrolase” enzyme can break 90% of PET polymers in just 10 hours. This is the strongest enzyme till this date followed by 201-F6. Meanwhile, this new enzyme was first found in composted leaves in 2012. From that time, work is in progress. At first, researchers were not sure about this enzyme and didn’t know it would work out so well.
Another major advantage of this enzyme is that it is very cost-efficient. As in comparison, the making of plastic from oil would have cost 25 times higher. According to scientist Saleh Jabarin who is a professor at the University of Toledo, this is a major breakthrough in the manufacturing of PET.
PET hydrolase enzyme will be tested in France in 2021. It would set some major “industrial and commercial potential.” Major goal of the manufactures is to import this enzyme at a very large scale till 2024-2025. This whole news and confirmation are coming from Carbios chief executive Stephan from “The Guardian.” Let’s see how this enzyme helps humankind.