Summary Reader Response Final Draft (revised)

An article posted 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 article also states that 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). The researchers also claim that this could potentially reform the methods that leading industries use to dispose of their plastic waste.

Although this article also mentions a drawback this newly discovered plastic-eating enzyme has over its predecessors, its efficiency, ability to work in non-laboratory conditions and robust properties make the adoption of this enzyme feasible.

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 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. 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). 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 according to Watts. FAST-PETase can break down plastics at a much faster rate than other PET hydrolases used in prior studies (Miller, 2022). Watts states 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. 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 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). Thus, thoroughly adopting FAST-PETase 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 significant 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, critical industries and their major players might be able to completely eradicate plastic waste globally. 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

Carrington, D. (2020, April 8). Scientists create mutant enzyme that recycles plastic bottles in hours. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/apr/08/scientists-create-mutant-enzyme-that-recycles-plastic-bottles-in-hours

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

United Nations Environmental Programme. (2017).  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/