Scientists from the Swiss Federal Institute WSL have discovered microbes in the Alps and the Arctic that break down plastic at low temperatures. They were able to successfully “digest” mixtures of polyurethane and polymers at 15 °C. The find will help make a breakthrough in the field of plastic recycling.
A study by Swiss scientists was published in the journal Frontiers in Microbiology.
The experts took several samples of bacteria and fungi that grow on plastic waste in Greenland, Switzerland and the island of Svalbard. Approximately half of the strains were able to “digest” polyurethane and plastics such as PBAT and PLA (copolymer and polyester) under laboratory conditions at a temperature of 15 °C.
Plastic-recycling microbes have already been discovered, but the species found can only “digest” plastic waste at temperatures above 30°C. Such a temperature can only develop by heating the plastic, so the use of microbes is expensive and not friendly to the environment.
The scientists hope that their finding will help bring about a breakthrough in the field of plastic recycling. Experts plan to identify the enzymes that “digest” plastic and ensure that they are released into mass production.
Author:
Kirill Bilyk
Source: RB
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