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Plastic Matters July 2021 |
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UK Scientists convert plastic waste into vanilla flavours. By WhatPackaging? Team The research, published in the journal /Green Chemistry/, states that scientists achieved 79% conversion to vanillin from the plastic-derived molecule, terephthalic acid (TA). The team also demonstrated how the technique works by converting a used plastic bottle into vanillin by adding E. coli to the degraded plastic waste. |
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Could plastic-eating microbes take a bite out of the recycling problem? By Warren Cornwall The scientists think the microbes’ enzymes—proteins that speed chemical reactions—might help recycle some kinds of plastic, much of which gets buried in landfills, burned, or washed into rivers and oceans. Although industrial chemicals can break down plastics, using enzymes is potentially a greener approach, requiring less energy, that can also target specific plastics mixed with trash. |
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Scientists find microbes in cow’s belly that can break and decompose plastic. By Monit Khanna Doris Ribitsch of the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences in Vienna explained, “A huge microbial community lives in the rumen reticulum and is responsible for the digestion of food in the animals. So we suspected that some biological activities could also be used for polyester hydrolysis.” |
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Green Corner: How you can contribute to plastic waste recycling. By Kip Coerper Special to The Citizen Only about 9% of the world’s plastic is recycled. A problem is that huge companies and manufacturers are producing more and more plastic every year. What can we do as individuals? We can be more responsible about our recycling habits. First, it is imperative that we as consumers make an effort to recycle. |
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Ocean Legacy Foundation launches EPIC Academy. By BW Online Bureau EPIC Academy is a free online educational platform providing worldwide communities with essential knowledge regarding ocean plastic pollution, cleanup efforts, and solutions for creating plastic-free lands and waters. OLF is recognized as an international leader in ocean plastic pollution reduction, collection and processing. |
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A plastic bottle can get you A blessing at this temple in Thailand. By Sejal Agarwal Thailand ranks among one of the five countries in the world that accounts for more than half of the plastic in the oceans. In an attempt to curb plastic waste entering the Chao Phraya River, the monks of Wat Chak Daeng Templehave crushed about 40,000 kgs of plastic over the course of two years and has produced at least 800 sets of robes, and has more in production. |
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That’s all for now. Issued in public interest by Indian Centre for Plastics in the Environment,
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