Researchers in the Bio-Optimized Technologies to keep Thermoplastics out of Landfills and the Environment (BOTTLE) Consortium, including the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and the University of Portsmouth, have identified using enzymes...
Advanced Materials & Manufacturing Technologies Office
July 16, 2021
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Researchers in the Bio-Optimized Technologies to keep Thermoplastics out of Landfills and the Environment (BOTTLE) Consortium, including the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and the University of Portsmouth, have identified using enzymes as a more sustainable approach for recycling polyethylene terephthalate (PET), a common plastic in single-use beverage bottles, clothing, and food packaging.
The concept, if further developed and implemented at scale, could lead to new opportunities for PET recycling and create a mechanism for recycling textiles and other materials also made from PET that are traditionally not recycled today. An analysis shows enzyme-recycled PET has potential improvement over conventional, fossil-based methods of PET production across a broad spectrum of energy, carbon, and socioeconomic impacts.
This research is funded by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Manufacturing Office and the Bioenergy Technologies Office.
Read more about the research.