Summary Reader Response Final Draft
An article by the University of Texas,
“Plastic-eating Enzyme Could Eliminate
Billions of Tons of Landfill Waste” (2022),
reveals that researchers from the University of Texas (UOT) have successfully
created a plastic-eating enzyme capable of eradicating billions of tons of
plastic waste. Plastic pollution directly affects millions of people’s livelihoods,
food production capabilities and social well-being (UN, 2017). It is
imperative that steps be taken to tackle the world’s most compelling
environmental problem: billions of tons of plastic waste polluting our land and
natural resources (Plastic-eating Enzyme, 2022). The enzyme variant
developed by scientists and engineers at UOT can eliminate plastic waste that
naturally takes centuries to degrade in just a matter of hours or days (Plastic-eating
Enzyme, 2022). The enzyme degrades the plastics into smaller parts through a process
known as depolymerization and then chemically puts them back together again
through another process called repolymerization (Plastic-eating Enzyme,
2022). Although there had been ongoing research on plastic-eating enzymes, none
could operate efficiently at low temperatures until now, thereby making this
enzyme both portable and affordable on a large industrial scale (Plastic-eating
Enzyme, 2022). This could potentially reform the methods that leading
industries use to dispose of their plastic waste (Plastic-eating Enzyme,
2022).
Although this article highlights the
numerous advantages this newly discovered plastic-eating enzyme has over its predecessors,
a lack of versatility is a major drawback in thoroughly adopting the use of
this enzyme.
One strength this enzyme has over its predecessors
is its efficiency in degrading PET types of plastics. This research project
focuses on polyethene terephthalate (PET), a polymer commonly found in most
consumer packaging, including cookie containers and soda bottles (Plastic-eating
Enzyme, 2022). “Researchers at the Cockrell School of Engineering and College
of Natural Sciences” (Plastic-eating Enzyme, 2022, para. 5) used
artificial intelligence to successfully engineer a type of enzyme, called a
hydrolase, that can break down PET plastics (Vetter, 2022). The
researchers showcased “a whole circular recycling process” (Vetter, 2022,
para. 5), using the enzyme to depolymerize and repolymerize the PET
plastics (Vetter, 2022). This process can be used to reform new products
without compromising on structural integrity, unlike previous chemical
clean-ups (Watts, 2022). Through this process, the researchers
demonstrated the effectiveness of this enzyme, which they are calling “FAST-PETase
(functional, active, stable and tolerant PETase)” (Plastic-eating Enzyme, 2022,
para. 6). Remarkably, the process also worked well with mixed-colour PET
products as it did with clear products (Vetter, 2022). Thus, being able to
efficiently degrade PET plastics, commonly found in landfills is one strength
of FAST-PETase.
Another aspect that makes the FAST-PETase enzyme better than
its predecessors is the ability to work in “non-laboratory conditions” (Vetter,
2022, para. 6) or “in the environment at ambient temperature” (Vetter,
2022, para. 7). A similar plastic-eating enzyme was developed by a company
named “Carbios” (Carrington, 2020, para. 2) in partnership with major
companies “including Pepsi and L’Oréal” (Carrington, 2020, para. 2). This
enzyme was able to degrade a ton of PET plastic waste within 10 hours but at a
temperature of 72 degrees Celsius (Carrington, 2020). FAST-PETase on the
other hand can perform this process at less than 50 degrees Celsius (Plastic-eating
Enzyme, 2022). FAST-PETase is also able to “break down plastics so quickly and
on a large scale” (Miller, 2022, para. 14) meaning that the process
by FAST-PETase is less energy intensive and can also be used “out into the
field to clean up polluted sites” (Plastic-eating Enzyme, 2022, para. 10).
Hence, being able to work at ambient temperature proves that FAST-PETase is
superior to its predecessors.
A key improvement that sets
FAST-PETase apart from its predecessors is its “robust” (Watts, 2022,
para. 11) properties. Enzymes developed in the past had one critical flaw,
their lack of tolerance towards acidity (pH) and their slow reaction
rates (Watts, 2022). FAST-PETase can break down plastics at a much faster
rate than other PET hydrolases used in prior studies (Miller, 2022). This
means that FAST-PETase is able to thrive in non-laboratory conditions such as
landfills and waste plants or areas that have become hotspots for
litter (Watts, 2022). Therefore, improvements to its properties give it an
edge over its predecessors.
Despite the huge advantages
FAST-PETase has over its predecessors, one major flaw that needs to be improved
on is the versatility of the enzyme. The first variant of this enzyme is only
capable of degrading PET types of plastic and others will also have to be
developed (Peters, 2022). Hal Alper, a chemical engineering professor at
UOT said, "I think this is a multi-industry problem and it’s gonna require
a pretty large alliance and consortia to be able to solve this." (Peters,
2022, para. 6). This will be a challenge as it would involve building new
infrastructure which could be costly without financial backing from major
industry players (Peters, 2022).
In a nutshell, the FAST-PETase
enzyme is a major breakthrough in the development of plastic-eating enzymes.
With its robust properties and its ability to work under low-temperature
conditions, it has the potential to reform the way we deal with plastic waste
on a large scale. With sufficient financial backing, we might be able to
completely eradicate plastic waste globally. Finally, it is not too far-fetched
to say that FAST-PETase will be the benchmark for all other plastic-eating
enzymes developed in the future.
References
Miller, A. (2022, September 30). AI-Engineered
Plastic-Eating Enzyme Could Be the Solution to Plastic Pollution.
Earth.Org. https://earth.org/plastic-eating-enzyme/
Peters, A. (2022, April 29). Meet the plastic-eating
enzymes that can fully break down garbage in days. Fast Company. https://www.fastcompany.com/90747006/meet-the-plastic-eating-enzymes-that-can-fully-break-down-garbage-in-days
UN. (2017). UN environmental programme. Plastic
Pollution. https://www.unep.org/plastic-pollution#:~:text=Plastic%20pollution%20can%20alter%20habitats,t%20exist%20in%20a%20vacuum.
UT NEWS. (2022, April
27). Plastic-eating Enzyme Could Eliminate Billions of Tons of Landfill
Waste. https://news.utexas.edu/2022/04/27/plastic-eating-enzyme-could-eliminate-billions-of-tons-of-landfill-waste/#:~:text=Apr%2027%2C%202022-,Plastic%2Deating%20Enzyme%20Could%20Eliminate%20Billions%20of%20Tons%20of%20Landfill,matter%20of%20hours%20to%20days
Vetter, D. (2022, April 28). This AI-Designed Enzyme Can
Devour Plastic Trash In Hours: Video. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidrvetter/2022/04/28/scientists-use-ai-to-make-an-enzyme-that-eats-plastic-trash-in-hours-video/?sh=1dacfb3cda6b
Watts, J. (2022, May 4). This AI-designed enzyme
devours plastic waste in days. thred. https://thred.com/change/this-ai-designed-enzyme-devours-plastic-waste-in-days/
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