Scientists have discovered a chemical that can recycle plastic in just 24 hours.
Scientists at King’s College London found that the enzyme commonly used in most laundry detergents could assist with the recycling of single-use plastics, a material notoriously difficult to dispose of sustainably.
They have come up with a new way of recycling that uses these enzymes to break down the material. Their findings are published in the journal Cell Reports Physical Sciences.
Single-use plastics, often found in coffee cups and used to wrap certain food products, are usually bound for landfills, which is why scientists are working on easy ways to recycle the material. There are current methods for recycling these plastics, such as industrial composting. However, this takes 12 weeks.
This new method detailed by Kings College scientists converts them into a dissolvable material in just one day, the study reported. When the plastics are kept at a high temperature for a further 24 hours, they continue to break down into single molecules, which can then be used to create new plastics. Scientists believe this could be an innovative new way to recycle this problem material.
“The inspiration for this project came from a problem with bioplastics used in medical and surgical products degrading in the body. We’ve turned this problem around and applied it to the issue of recycling the single-use bioplastics we use in our everyday lives using a common enzyme found in biological laundry detergent,” Alex Brogan, a lecturer in Chemistry at King’s College London who worked on the study, said in a summary detailing the findings.
“Being able to harness biology to deliver sustainable solutions through chemistry allows us to start thinking of waste as a resource so that we can move away from oil and other non-renewable sources to create the materials we need for modern life.”
A central problem concerning the recycling of single-use plastics is the slowness at which they break down. This can cause a major problem, seeing as manufacturers and consumers widely use them. In fact, they are often seen as a more sustainable choice for packaging.
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However, its production can be highly detrimental to the planet. The study notes that current mechanical recycling methods generate Co2 emissions, and often, the material cannot even be reused.
If this potential new method was adopted, it could see a large reduction in the plastic being taken to landfills and subsequently reduce the amount that ends up in nature.
“Our research marks the first step in developing new technologies in waste management for recycling bioplastics that are of equal quality to the virgin product. Until now this has been a major challenge in plastics recycling, as while bioplastics are made of biological materials, they are not all compostable and most current recycling methods are inefficient,” Susana Meza Huaman, PhD researcher on the project at King’s College London, said in a summary.
“Our chemical approach significantly speeds up the degradation of bioplastics, enabling them to be recycled and reused.”
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