While engaged in extended reading for my A Levels, I came across some rather amazing research. It outlined an enzyme that had been created to completely break down plastic within a 24-hour period. This could be part of a solution to the ever-growing plastic crisis. There is a volume of research on it, however, this revolutionary enzyme seems not to have made front page news.
This enzyme has been manufactured rather than being found naturally; this means it is called an enzyme ‘cocktail’. This enzyme had to be engineered in a lab, selecting the favourable characteristics from existing enzymes to create the new, engineered one. The University of Texas was the main base of the research and manufacturing, using AI and other advanced technology to make it. This specific enzyme cocktail has a more scientific name, ‘hydrolase’, although many articles also refer to it as PETase, as it is particularly effective in breaking down PET (polyethylene terephthalate).
PET is one of the most common plastics used around the world, making up 12% of all man-made solid waste. It is used within the majority of single-use plastic, such as plastic bottles, bags, containers, packaging, and much more. This shows just how useful it would be for large-scale plastic breakdown. The hydrolase breakdown produces molecules that are not environmentally harmful and can be recycled to produce other products. This shows its use can provide more than one solution, as it breaks down harmful plastic and creates a product that is useable across the globe without affecting the food chain, as micro plastics are harmful to many organisms’ cells.
Previous enzyme research found that enzymes affect transparent, non-coloured plastic because the dye would not break down or separate. However, hydrolase can break down all types of PET into the molecules that can be reused in the same condition. This causes a great change in the recycling of broken-down plastic: it could create a more sustainable system, as separating out plastic coloured and non-coloured waste would not be necessary.
The hydrolase breaks the PET down into molecules at a 20% faster rate than any other enzyme that had been tested previously. There was also further research studying the enzyme through a microscope with a light source 10 billion times brighter than the sun. This was to allow a greater resolution and magnification of the image. This enabled the scientists to study the shape and activities of the enzyme with increased accuracy to see how it could be more effective. This research suggested that a mix of hydrolase and an enzyme called METase breaks the PET down even quicker. This has been seen to double the speed of breakdown of PET, suggesting an even greater advance in the plastic pollution solution which could completely change the course of our planetary issues.
As well as having a profound effect on the plastic crisis, this enzyme is non-polluting by the means of greenhouse gasses, as the process of breaking down the PET does not produce harmful by-products. This means its use has more than one benefit: rather than just getting rid of the plastic by burning it and releasing these harmful gasses, we can hopefully start to use hydrolase to break it down. However, as hydrolase is not a naturally occurring enzyme, it may have a harmful impact on the natural environment and could disturb ecosystems. Therefore, there is more research going into whether it is fully feasible to use it as a key product for tackling the plastic crisis. Although the hydrolase creates a beneficial plastic solution, it would not be ideal if the enzyme itself causes greater problems.
With 400 million tons of plastic being thrown away every year, this shows just how large the problem is. This enzyme could help reduce the effects of plastic, preventing it from getting into the food chain and causing mishaps all over the globe. It is suggested that it could be used in large landfill sites to have a significant effect on making the site more manageable, and to reduce the waste present across the globe. This year, 175 countries within the UN signed an agreement to tackle plastic pollution, showing a profound and urgent need to solve this issue. This demonstrates just how revolutionary hydrolase could be environmentally, and I believe that the possible impact of its effects should be more publicly known.
Bonnie, LVI
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China Photos / Getty Images News / Getty Images / Universal Images Group
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