Abstract
Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is one of the most commonly used polyester plastics worldwide but is extremely difficult to be hydrolyzed in a natural environment. PET plastic is an inexpensive, lightweight, and durable material, which can readily be molded into an assortment of products that are used in a broad range of applications. Most PET is used for single-use packaging materials, such as disposable consumer items and packaging. Although PET plastics are a valuable resource in many aspects, the proliferation of plastic products in the last several decades have resulted in a negative environmental footprint. The long-term risk of released PET waste in the environment poses a serious threat to ecosystems, food safety, and even human health in modern society. Recycling is one of the most important actions currently available to reduce these impacts. Current clean-up strategies have attempted to alleviate the adverse impacts of PET pollution but are unable to compete with the increasing quantities of PET waste exposed to the environment. In this review paper, current PET recycling methods to improve life cycle and waste management are discussed, which can be further implemented to reduce plastics pollution and its impacts on health and environment. Compared with conventional mechanical and chemical recycling processes, the biotechnological recycling of PET involves enzymatic degradation of the waste PET and the followed bioconversion of degraded PET monomers into value-added chemicals. This approach creates a circular PET economy by recycling waste PET or upcycling it into more valuable products with minimal environmental footprint.
Highlights
Plastics are composed of a broad spectrum of high molecular weight polymers derived from synthetic, semi-synthetic, or natural compounds, assembled in a repeating pattern [1,2]
A team of Japanese researchers have proposed three systems for Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) degradation: (i) microbial consortium No 46; (ii) Ideonella sakaiensis 201-F6, and (iii) a system consisting of two novel enzymes, which are applicable for the bioremediation and biorecycling of PET waste together with other potential applications, such as microplastic and microbead degradation, bioconversion, as well as PET-surface modification [128]
The need for improved PET plastic circularity is obvious, and much work has been devoted to dealing with this challenge for several decades
Summary
Plastics are composed of a broad spectrum of high molecular weight polymers derived from synthetic, semi-synthetic, or natural compounds, assembled in a repeating pattern [1,2]. The long-term risk of hazardous chemicals from the released plastic wastes in the poses a serious threat to ecological systems and health problems. The accumulation of PET wastes is continuously increasing and starting to to threaten ecosystems across the globe. Bioconversion of PET wastes into approach, but it often downgrades the material properties [6]. This review aims to summarize the current major advances in recycling technologies This review aims to summarize the current major advances in recycling technologies for plastic wastes, for biorecycling of PET. Conventional approaches for recycling of PET and other plastics are discussed, which include landfilling, incineration for energy recovery, downgauging and reuse of which include landfilling, incineration for energy recovery, downgauging and reuse of packaging plastic materials, mechanical recycling, and chemical recycling. The advantages, new opportunities, and challenges for using biological recycling approaches towards a circular economy of new plastic industry are discussed
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