A process that turns waste plastic and CO2 into fuel has been developed at Cambridge University.
Nature has found ways of breaking down polymers - substances made up of very large molecules - and plastic is a synthetic polymer.Victoria Bemmer from the University of Portsmouth is developing enzymes that can break down plastic
"There are already bacteria out there that have enzymes designed to break [polymers] down," says Dr Victoria Bemmer, senior research fellow at the University of Portsmouth. "We can tweak these enzymes by changing the structure of them very slightly - to make them go faster, make them more firm or stable."deconstruct all varieties of polyethylene terephthalateThe enzymes break the plastic down in a similar way to chemical recycling, says Dr Bemmer but, because they are akin to enzymes found in nature, the process can be done in much more "benign conditions".
Where chemical recycling uses chemicals, the Portsmouth University team are able to use water. And the highest temperature they need is 70C, meaning energy consumption can be kept low compared to other processes.and hope that their work will help them create a sustainable circular economy for plastic-based clothing too.However, recycling synthetic fabrics using enzymes is not easy. The addition of dyes and other chemical treatments make it difficult for them to be degraded in a natural process.
"Polyester is an absolute pain," says Dr Bemmer. "Plus, it's very rarely just pure polyester. You find mixed fibres as well."
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