Green Horizon

What effect does my blog have? "Elevating the conversation on the economics of sustainability"
Hi there! My name is Lucas and I am a passionate student who aims to raise awareness and promote environmental advocacy. Through my blogs I will share the latest news and any though-provoking insights on a variety of topics.
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Saturday, November 4, 2023

Plastic-Eating Bacteria: A new solution to mitigate waste production?



For instance, a company named Carbios has been running an operation that basically uses a bacterial enzyme that breaks down about 250kg of PET plastic each day. By breaking down the precursor molecules, these can be therefore used to construct new plastic packaging.

The #5 stages for reusing plastic using bacteria:

1. The plastic is first shredded and then runs through an immense die-press machine. This freezes and pushes the plastic through a small orifice at a great pressure.

2. These plastic nurdles have and greater surface area opposed to their original state, thus making it easier for the enzymes to become effective.

3. Afterwards, these nurdles are placed in a water solution along with the enzyme inside a sealed vessel.

4. As the reaction completely takes place, the solution of PET nurdles is transformed into two chemicals: ethylene glycol and terephthalic acid.

5. Finally, these chemicals produced are separated and utilized to create new and useful plastic.



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