Summary Reader Response Draft 3 – Final Copy - Plastic-eating Enzyme Could Eliminate Billions of Tons of Landfill Waste

 A group of engineers and scientists at The University of Texas at Austin discovered a modified enzyme called FAST-PETase and tested it over 51 different types of plastic containers (UT NEWS, 2022). It allows plastics recycling process at the molecular level by breaking down the consumed plastic molecule into small parts to reform then reuse again in just short hours to days. (Nature, 2022).

The project mainly focuses on polyethylene terephthalate (PET), a significant polymer found in most consumer packaging (Nature, 2022) which makes up 12% of all global waste and doesn’t degrade over centuries.  Through the research and machine learning model, the demonstration results reveal a huge improvement after 15 years of research on enzymes for plastic recycling. FAST-PETase ables to degrade the consumed plastics at low ambient temperature which exciting the research teams aiming for cleaning up landfills and greening high waste-producing industries at soon and near future. The article reports also said that compared to traditional ways to cut down on plastics waste such as burning, landfill, or alternative industrial processes which are generally not environmentally friendly yet at a high cost, the biological solutions proven take less energy, more affordable and efficient at large industrial scale use.

However, my opinion is that the best cure to treat plastic pollution is always from reducing the use of plastic globally. This can be achieved through raising awareness of plastic pollution to all the people. As well as to improve the government policies globally.

According to the trade association Plastics Europe, worldwide plastic production grew from some 1.5 million metric tons (about 1.7 million short tons) per year in 1950 to an estimated 275 million metric tons (about 303 million short tons) by 2010 and 359 million metric tons (nearly 396 million short tons) by 2018. (Moore, Charles, 2023). It is expected to double in capacity by 2040. (UN NEWS, 2022)

These figures raised the global worries if our future generations will be doomed by plastic waste one day. Not to say the impacts of plastic pollution on the triple planetary crisis of climate change, nature loss and pollution are a catastrophe in the making, the UN agency said, with exposure to plastics harming human health, and potentially affecting fertility, hormonal, metabolic and neurological activity, while open burning of plastics contributes to air pollution. (UN NEWS, 2022).

The increasing numbers in plastic waste globally is too fast speedy than its treatment and solution can be provided. Such as the discovery of the FAST-PETase plastic eating enzyme which taken about 15 years’ time in research history. But the plastic wastage increased to about 90 million short tons in just 8 years’ time (from 2010 to 2018). The fact tells us that we can’t only rely on plastic enzymes to tackle plastic pollution. Thus, reducing plastic use becomes crucial and important to address the plastic pollution matter.

“Plastic pollution has grown into an epidemic. With today’s resolution we are officially on track for a cure.” Said by Espen Barth Eide, the President of the Assembly, and Norway’s Minister for Climate and the Environment. (UN NEWS, 2022)

Awareness of the serious consequences of plastic pollution is increasing globally, and new solutions, including the increasing use of biodegradable plastics and a “zero waste” philosophy, are being embraced by governments and the public. (Laura Parker, 2022) This is already a global problem; thus, we need a global solution to solve it. One nation’s regulations do not prevent another nation’s waste from reaching its shores.

It also resulted a legal binding instrument started in year 2022 and expected to end by year 2024 established internationally, which would reflect diverse alternatives to address the full lifecycle of plastics, the design of reusable and recyclable products and materials, and the need for enhanced international collaboration to facilitate access to technology, to allow the revolutionary plan to be realized. (UN NEWS, 2022) According to UN Environment Programme (UNEP), this legal binding which worked by an Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) formed from various nation aim to share knowledge and best practices in different parts of the world.

 

In conclusion, with the efforts supported by countries and governments globally in which government policies being enhanced and in force, plastic pollution awareness believed will increase tremendously among families and individuals around the world. By increasing public awareness on plastic pollution, we should be able to reduce the production or generation of plastic wastage. On the other hand, scientists and researchers are continuing to discover more powerful plastic enzymes or other more efficient plastic treatment solutions to treat plastic wastage. We should believe that one day later plastic use will not become a global threat to our beloved Earth and peoples anymore.

It is very clear that plastic solution can never be a few years pause but may take decades into a perfect solution to prevent our Earth ecosystem collapse. It is everyone’s responsible to contribute the efforts to protect our Earth.

 

Total : 820 words

 

 

References :

 

UT NEWS. (2022, Apr 27). Plastic eating enzyme could eliminate billions of tons of landfill.

https://news.utexas.edu/2022/04/27/plastic-eating-enzyme-could-eliminate-billions-of-tons-of-landfill-waste/#:~:text=Apr%2027%2C%202022-,Plastic%2Deating%20Enzyme%20Could%20Eliminate%20Billions%20of%20Tons%20of%20Landfill,matter%20of%20hours%20to%20days

 

Lu, H., Diaz, D.J., Czarnecki, N.J. et al. Machine learning-aided engineering of hydrolases for

PET depolymerization. Nature 604, 662–667 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-022-04599-z

 

UN NEWS. (2022, March 2). Nations sign up to end global scourge of plastic pollution.

https://news.un.org/en/story/2022/03/1113142

 

Laura Parker. (2022, March 3). The world’s nation agree to fix the plastic waste crisis.

National Geographic. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/world-nations-agree-to-fix-the-plastic-waste-crisis

 

Moore, Charles. (2023, Jan 5). Plastic pollution. Encyclopedia Britannica.

https://www.britannica.com/science/plastic-pollution.