Scientist accidentally improved Plastic Eating Enzyme

Plastic is handy

we go to market, shop, get things packed with plastic, we use and dispose them. From water to soft drinks, they come in PET bottle which is a common form of Plastic, Polyethylene terephthalate.

About 1 million plastic bottles are sold every minute around the globe


Plastic pollution is a growing problem for the world we know, though plastics can be produced easily but it needs a lot of time to degrade naturally, PET bottles degrade in more than 450 years, other plastics may take more than 1000 years. Though plastics can be recycled but because of lack of awareness or will only 15% or less is recycled every year. About 1 million plastic bottles are sold every minute around the globe and if the recycling proportion is this little then its a huge problem.

In 2016 there was a discovery by the Japanese Scientist. A Bacterium, named Ideonella sakaiensis, was found from waste dump that can eat one of the most common plastic form PET (Polyethylene terephthalate). It was thought to be a huge turning point in plastic recycling.

Plastic eating enzyme


Recently a team from US and UK was researching on an Enzyme named PETase, produced by the bacterium that actually breaks plastic. To better understand the structure of the Enzyme a high power light is used (10 billion times brighter than the sun) to break the enzyme into atom level, and manipulate it. It accidentally engineered the enzyme and made it more improved and effective.



It is anticipated that this enzyme will break down PET bottles, in days instead of centuries that is takes naturally. Researchers are also optimistic that the process can be further speeded up by improving the enzyme to a next level.

If successful this enzyme will be used in industrial level, and Plastic bottles can be recycled back to its pure form, clean transparent sheet. There will be least requirement of producing fresh plastic. And a big problem will have an effective solution.

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