What to do in the face of the growing world production of plastic?

Considering that plastic can take more than 400 years to degrade and that its production has exceeded 8 billion tons, one option is to advance in recycling, betting on alternatives with greater biodegradation. Another alternative is to “eat it”. Studies -in which UC academics Beatriz Díez and César A. Ramírez-Sarmiento have participated, together with the University of Leipzig- have discovered marine microorganisms that have enzymes capable of degrading plastic.

Barely 9% of the plastic produced on the planet is recycled, according to a National Geographic article. It is not much, if we consider that world production of plastic -according to the same publication- has reached 8.3 billion metric tons, much of which is transformed into garbage, ending up mainly in the oceans. And it is expected that, by 2050, production will reach 12 billion tons.

A worrying situation, considering that plastic needs around 400 years to degrade.

Given this panorama, research to find ways to deal with this situation is key. Hence, national and international researchers met at the conference “Life in Plastic is NOT Fantastic”recently held at the UC Innovation Center. The meeting discussed the accumulation of plastic pollution in terrestrial and marine environments, and emerging and friendly solutions to the environment from biotechnology.

As it explains Cesar A. Ramirez-Sarmientoprofessor at the Institute of Biological and Medical Engineering, “from the environmental point of view, we saw how most plastics accumulate in our marine environments in the form of microplastics, dispelling the idea of ​​so-called “garbage islands” who have been part of the story regarding plastic pollution in our oceans. we also saw how some of these microplastics have already been found on our coast, and that they are consumed by different animals They are part of our trophic chain.

Advance in recycling

What do we do in the face of the growing world production of plastic? One way is recycling.

According to the presenter Kara Lavender Law, academic at the Sea Education Association, USA, there are several strategies to advance recycling. many of them depend on public policies and a commitment from the industries to bet on alternatives of greater biodegradation. For example, innovate in the design of materials and products to use polymers that are easier to biodegrade and avoid use of mixed plastic materials which often make it difficult to recycle, reduce the generation of plastic waste and improve the management and collection capacities of these contaminantsand also capture these pollutants before they reach our environments.

As the also researcher of the Millennium Institute for Integrative Biology (iBio), in the case of Chile, “it is necessary to create PET recycling industries – or polyethylene terephthalate, the compound of most daily consumer products – bottle to bottle, which will allow us to meet the goals that our country has established at a national level. legislation, to promote the incorporation into these bottles of a percentage of PET recycled in our country. And in the long run, consider the development of industries based on biological recycling, friendly to the environment, that reduce the waste of PET containers for product packagingwhich are generated by mechanical recycling and which, after use, are generally not recycled again.

Enzymes that “eat” plastics

A team of researchers from UC and the University of Leipzig have identified a variety of enzymes on the Antarctic coast that can degrade or “eat” plastics at room temperature -25 degrees Celcius- with great efficiency. (Photo credit: iStock Photo).

Another alternative to reduce the large amount of plastic that we have on the planet is to “eat it”. As Professor César A. Ramírez-Sarmiento explains, there are studies that have determined that Microorganisms obtained from environmental samples collected in different marine environments contain enzymes that degrade plastics. Particularly polyesters such as PET and other co-polymers similar to PET, as well as other biodegradable polyesters such as PBAT or PCL. Some of these microorganisms form consortia that allow not only to degrade these polymers, but also completely eliminate its degradation products through its metabolism.

Together with the team of researchers from Wolfgang Zimmermanprofessor at Leipzig University, Germany -also a speaker at the conference-, Professor César A. Ramírez-Sarmiento participated in a study that describes enzymes that degrade PET at high temperatures, above 70 degrees celcius.

To which is added the investigation, in which the beatriz diezprofessor at the Faculty of Biological Sciences, in which a variety of enzymes on the Antarctic coast that can degrade or “eat” plastics at room temperature -25 degrees Celsius- with great efficiency.

As the UC academic explains, these enzymes “could allow their use as additives in polyester clothing to reduce mottling in these garments and thereby increase their useful life.”

As the researcher concludes, “some of these enzymes can efficiently degrade PET both at moderate temperatures of 25ºC and at high temperatures, in some cases being able to completely degrade PET of low crystallinity without requiring any type of prior treatment of the material, thus opening the door to its possible circular recycling through biotechnology”.

“Life in Plastic is NOT Fantastic”

Participants of the symposium «Life in plastic is NOT fantastic», at the UC Innovation Center, on March 10. (Photo courtesy of César A. Ramírez-Sarmiento).

The international event was sponsored by the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, the Institute of Biological and Medical Engineering UChe Millennium Institute for Integrative Biology (iBio) and the National Research and Development Agency (ANID) through the project of the International Cooperation Program PCI ANID 2019/13259-9. In addition to the sponsorship of Ministry of Science, Technology, Knowledge and Innovation and of the Ministry of Environment.

The meeting was attended by leading international exhibitors Kara Lavender Law (Sea Education Association, USA); Wolfgang Zimmerman (Leipzig University, Germany) and Basak Öztürk (Leibniz Institute-DSMZ, Germany). While the national representatives were Cristóbal Galbán-Malagón of the Universidad Mayor, and the professors beatrice ten and Cesar A. Ramirez-Sarmientofrom UC.