Newly
Discovered Plastic-Eating
Bacteria Can Help Solve Our Trash Problems
Credit: Science // Wikimedia Commons
Japanese researchers have identified a bacteria that eats
PET - a kind of plastic widely used for
various types of bottles we throw in the
trash everyday. This is the first time such an organism has been
found.
About 50 million tons of Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) are made each year to
meet our growing needs for beverage
containers, fabrics, and electrics. Half of all PETs end up either
clogging our land fills, or in the ocean.
PET is very difficult to break down due to its very strong hydrocarbon bonds.
The bacteria, Ideonella sakaiensis 201-F6, has found a way to
eat away at the PET.
“The discovery of PET-devouring bacteria is encouraging scientific progress that should be flanked by replacing present-day plastics with greener, more sustainable alternative materials,” said Rolf Halden, a professor and director of the Center for Environmental Security at Arizona State University.
