Scientists have long been looking for a substance or a bacteria that can decompose plastic as plastic waste is ubiquitous because it can not be disintegrated. Some scientists at the university of Leipzig have stumbled upon a kind of enzyme that decomposes PET (Polyethylene terephthalate).
PET or Polyethylene terephthalate is one of the most used types of plastic on the planet, a large amount of waste is also PET as a result, bottles, carpets, clothing are all made up of PET. Recently, one enzyme called PHL7 was discovered at the University of Leipzig that decomposes PET within a day. Another enzyme that was discovered back in 2012 was LCC or leaf-branch compost cutinase, it decomposes PET but at a very slow rate and a very high temperature. Although PHL7 decomposes PET faster than LCC and more easily, it still can’t decompose bottles as the process of manufacturing bottles stretches the polymer and changes its nature making it harder to decompose.
There have been other attempts at synthesising a PET eating enzyme, it includes a French company called Carbios that is trying to engineer LCC to be more effective and researchers at University of Texas created an enzyme with the help of machine learning that eats PET in 24 hours.
Sonnendecker, the researcher who discovered PHL7 says efforts are underway for synthesising an efficient PET decomposing substance and we are about four years away from having one that can be useful.
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Technology is a useful servant, but a dangerous master, it was rightly said. Electronic devices have grown into an inevitable part of our daily lives.
