Page 21 - Livre_MOW2022_EN

CURBING PLASTIC POLLUTION | 19

A SUPER ENZYME THAT ATTACKS PLASTIC

In 2016, a group of researchers in Japan isolated a
bacterium that was producing an enzyme enabling
Is enzyme recycling, on which you are working, a
solution inspired by nature? it to use the plastic from polyethylene terephthalate
Yes, absolutely. In nature, nothing goes to waste, and (PET) bottles as a source of energy and food. Based on
we can learn a lot from natural recycling processes. this natural enzyme which took several weeks to digest
For example, the leaves of green plants have a pro- plastic, using special reactors, the researchers developed
tective waxy coating called “cutin”, a natural polyester enzymes capable of breaking down PET in just a few
which has the same bonds as PET, the artificial plastic hours. The molecules are then purified to produce bottles
used for single-use plastic bottles and many textiles. that are as solid and transparent as those manufactured
If you are a bacterium and are attracted by the su- from fossil-based plastics.
gars contained in the leaves, you need to cross this
protective layer. Therefore, these bacteria have deve-
loped enzymes capable of breaking down polymers.
What we have done is to take these enzymes to our
laboratories in order to improve them so that they can
digest plastic faster. By recycling plastic into its origi-
nal constituents, we can reduce our dependency on
petroleum and gas resources to produce plastic and
create value from plastic waste.

Have other enzymes currently been identified for
other plastics?
Scientists are looking for enzymes in environments
polluted by plastic all over the world. They take
samples and analyse them in a laboratory in order
to identify these new enzymes which are effective for
other types of plastic, such as polyethylene (plastic
bags) and polypropylene (hard plastic). We may also
use artificial intelligence to help us speed up the de-
velopment of new enzymes and we are working with
innovative companies such as DeepMind, who also
attended the summit. Others are working on plastics
of the future which are recyclable as soon as they are
developed.

Plastic tap by Benjamin von Wong,
giant sculptures made from scavenged
plastic bottles and installed in all
corners of the world.
©Von Wong Production 2021 -
#turnofftheplastictap