Plastic-eating enzymes could help solve pollution problem

Two new enzymes can break down one of the most common single-use plastics, according to the study "Modulating biofilm can potentiate activity of novel plastic-degrading enzymes" by Brunel University London published in the ...

New strategy for polyethylene terephthalate upcycling

Polyethylene terephthalate (PET), one of the most consumed synthetic polyesters, has a challenging recycling process. Current PET recycling methods have achieved downcycling, which produces low-value products like PET textiles. ...

Visualizing PET's degradation by bacterial enzymes

The rigidity, transparency and hardness of PET (Polyethylene Terephthalate) make it one of the most valuable plastics for the manufacture of plastic bottles, packaging and other single-use products. However, these characteristics ...

How nanoplastics can influence metabolism

PET—the plastic used to make bottles, for example—is ubiquitous in our natural environment. In a joint study, scientists from Leipzig University and the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ) investigated the ...

The world of plastics, in numbers

From its early beginnings during and after World War II, the commercial industry for polymers – long chain synthetic molecules of which "plastics" are a common misnomer – has grown rapidly. In 2015, over 320 million tons ...

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