Nowadays, plastic accumulation in landfill rivers and oceans is an important environmental issue. For that reason, plastic recycling is a key factor to reduce ecological impact that can contribute towards a circular economy approach where recycled plastic and other products of plastic degradation may be used as source of new materials that can be incorporated into the value chain. In this context, plastic can be degraded by employing biochemistry or by more classical chemical routes, both methods are being developed within INAM.
An interesting strategy proposes the use of this mirocorganisms enzymes as a biotechnological tool to degrade plastic in control conditions and even to improve the enzymatic ability. In our project we are using two bacterial enzymes to degrade polyethylene terephthalate (PET) obtaining as products terephthalate and ethylene glycol.
Alternatively, plastic recycling is carried out combining solvolysis with chemical depolymerization and electrochemical valorization of degradation products. The scope of products include several polycondensation plastics (PET, polyamides, polyurethanes,..).
