Scientists at The University of Texas at Austin have developed an enzyme variant that gobbles up environment-throttling plastics. This may just resolve our plastic woes once and for all.
An enzyme variant that gobbles up hard-to-degrade plasticsengineers and scientists at The University of Texas at Austin have come up with an innovative solution that may just resolve our plastic woes once and for all,released by the institution on Wednesday. The solution takes the shape of an enzyme variant that gobbles up environment-throttling plastics that typically take centuries to degrade in just a matter of hours to days.
“The possibilities are endless across industries to leverage this leading-edge recycling process,” said Hal Alper, professor in the McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering at UT Austin. “Beyond the obvious waste management industry, this also provides corporations from every sector the opportunity to take a lead in recycling their products. Through these more sustainable enzyme approaches, we can begin to envision a true circular plastics economy.”The new process sees plastics fully broken down to monomers in as little as 24 hours. The project focuses on polyethylene terephthalate , a polymer that makes up 12% of all global waste.
The enzyme is so efficient that it can even work at ambient temperature, making it suitable for a variety of uses. The researchers are now working on scaling up enzyme production to prepare for industrial and environmental applications. These will take the shape of landfill cleanup initiatives, the greening of high waste-producing industries, and even environmental remediation. The team's study
Canada Latest News, Canada Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Engineers Create an Enzyme That Breaks Down Plastic Waste in Hours, Not DecadesAs you've no doubt noticed, there's a worryingly large amount of plastic pollution, and scientists are working hard to find ways to use plastic without causing so much long-term damage to the environment around us.
Read more »
A’s finish a once-promising month under .500 as offense goes silent againOakland A’s infielder Sheldon Neuse is enjoying a breakout month, but the rest of the team’s offense is struggling.
Read more »
Ready or not, it’s go time for plastic bag ban | Letter from your editorThe strictest ban in the nation starts May 4.
Read more »
California Subpoenas Exxon for Details on Role in Global Plastic PollutionCalifornia’s attorney general has subpoenaed Exxon for details relating to the company’s role in misleading the public and worsening plastics pollution.
Read more »
Prince George’s schools are going green with new climate action planThe plan includes 58 recommendations ranging from reducing the system's plastic use to adding more environmental lessons to the system's curriculum.\n
Read more »