New technologies and discoveries are great, but some new technologies cause unforeseen problems down the road. Plastics are one example. This material revolutionized many products because it was cheap to produce and held up very well. The same characteristics that make plastic useful have now made plastic a very serious problem. But thanks to a new scientific discovery, this problem might have a solution soon.
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Plastics are everywhere. The world currently produces about 315 million tons of plastic every year. The rate is increasing so rapidly that by 2050, the world will be producing triple the amount of plastic it does now. Research by the World Economic Forum has found that 95 percent of all plastic is used once and then thrown out. Only 14 percent of the plastic is recycled, and the rest makes its way to the landfill or ends up littered in streets, forests and natural water areas.
The same research, which analyzed more than 200 studies, found that by the year 2050, there will be more pounds of plastic in the oceans than fish. Because plastic is so light, it often is carried by rivers to the oceans — if not dumped directly into the ocean. It has been estimated that one garbage truck worth of plastics ends up in the ocean every minute. By the year 2050, that number is expected to quadruple. The material that does make it to the landfill piles up because it takes a very long time for plastics to decompose.
There might be a new solution to our increasing plastic problem thanks to a group of scientists from Kyoto University. These scientists spent five years collecting samples of bacteria and organisms on piles of plastic at landfills and recycling centers. Finally, these scientists found bacteria named Ideonella sakainesis that appeared to be breaking down the plastic fairly rapidly.
Scientists conducted tests and found that when left in a warm test environment, the bacteria would break down plastic in just a few weeks. This is a remarkable discovery. Because plastics have been around only for about 50 years, there has not enough time for evolution to help create many plastic-eating organisms.
This is a really big discovery, but it gets even better. The scientists have discovered the bacteria are able to break down plastic because of an enzyme they produce. All organisms produce different enzymes to help the chemical reactions needed to perform many bodily functions such as digestion and converting sugars into energy. It just so happens that the enzyme in these bacteria can break down plastic.
After discovering the enzyme responsible for breaking down plastic, the scientists were able to manufacture the enzyme artificially. The artificial enzyme was tested on the plastic and successfully degraded the plastic without the bacteria. This could allow new processes to be developed that will break down plastics even faster than the natural bacteria could.
Processes using this new enzyme could create a whole new method of recycling plastic. Everyone should recycle the plastic they use — there is really no excuse not to.
However, even when recycled, plastics are not easy to deal with. Manufacturers often prefer to use new material to make their plastic products because it can be easier than using recycled plastic. However, this new enzyme breaks the old plastics down into chemicals that can more easily be remade into plastic.
We still have a big plastic problem on our hands. It is incredible that in just more than 30 years, we will have more plastic in our oceans than fish. We can still help slow this problem thanks to this bacterium. In the meantime, you can help by reducing your consumption of plastic. And when you do use plastic, be sure to recycle it. If nothing else, the fish will certainly thank you.
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