Microbial enzymes for the recycling of recalcitrant petroleum‐based plastics: how far are we?

Petroleum-based plastics have replaced many natural materials in their former applications. With their excellent properties, they have found widespread uses in almost every area of human life. However, the high recalcitrance of many synthetic plastics results in their long persistence in the environment, and the growing amount of plastic waste ending up in landfills and in the oceans has become a global concern. In recent years, a number of microbial enzymes capable of modifying or degrading recalcitrant synthetic polymers have been identified. They are emerging as candidates for the development of biocatalytic plastic recycling processes, by which valuable raw materials can be recovered in an environmentally…

• EC
  European Commission

  Award: 633962
• BF
  Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung

  Award: 031A227E
• H2
  Horizon 2020

  Award: 633962