Researchers from 3 Countries Develop Enzyme-Based PET Recycling — 65% Less Energy, Lower Cost Than New Plastic
A research team from NREL (USA), the University of Massachusetts Lowell, and the University of Portsmouth (UK) has successfully developed an enzyme-based process to recycle PET plastic, even from low-quality or contaminated sources.
🔍 The results are impressive:
- Over 99% reduction in acid/base usage
- 74% lower annual operating cost
- 65% reduction in energy use
- Recycled PET costs just $1.51/kg, cheaper than new PET made in the U.S. ($1.87/kg)
♻️ The recycled PET can be remade into new plastic or even upcycled into higher-value materials.
This innovation is part of the BOTTLE project, aimed at driving sustainable recycling tech and reducing plastic waste going to landfills.
📊 In 2019, the U.S. landfilled up to 86% of its plastic waste — an amount containing enough embedded energy to power 5% of the nation’s transportation sector.
🏭 The team is now working toward building the first enzyme-based plastic recycling plant in the U.S., to bring this technology into industrial-scale reality.
🧪 Published in Nature Chemical Engineering
Paper Title: Process innovations to enable viable enzymatic poly(ethylene terephthalate) recycling
📎 Source: https://cleantechnica.com
#Environment #InternationalNews #yologreennews #Plastics #Enzymes
