Researchers in the US have developed a "living" plastic that decomposes using biological spores, but experts warn: Without appropriate infrastructure and systemic change, the development will not solve the plastic crisis.
Plastic is found in most of the products around us andIn every remote corner of the worldPlastic breaks down, disintegrates, and accumulates in the environment and in our bodies. Plastic Pollution Harmful to the human body and in a variety of animal species, and there is great importance Solving the global plastic problem. From bioplastic And to biodegradable plastic – the promises are great but the performance doesn't always live up to expectations. A research team from the United States has managed to engineer a "living" plastic that decomposes under controlled conditions. Is this a real solution to the plastic crisis – or one that will remain on the laboratory shelves?
A new environmental order?
Research, recently published in the journal Nature Chemical Biology, proposes an innovative way to break down PCL (polycaprolactone) plastic. This type of plastic is commonly found in medical products such as biodegradable sutures, drug delivery devices and orthopedic sutures. The plastic is broken down using spores (dormant cells) of genetically modified bacteria of the species Bacillus subtilis. These spores survive extreme conditions, such as high temperatures and solvents, and are incorporated into the plastic manufacturing process itself. They remain dormant inside the plastic until they are exposed to an external stimulus, such as exposure to sugar or physical abrasion. Then, they “wake up,” germinate into living cells, and begin secreting an enzyme called BC-lipase that breaks down the plastic. In a pilot study conducted in an industrial composter under controlled conditions, the new plastic decomposed in just 30 days.
Furthermore, the engineers were able to incorporate the spores into a 120D printing process at a temperature of XNUMX degrees – without compromising their functionality. This means that this technology can be integrated into an existing industry without completely changing the supply chain.
But despite the enthusiasm for the innovation, it may still be too early to rejoice. “What the research team managed to do is nothing short of amazing – take a living spore, integrate it into the production of plastic and ensure that it wakes up and starts breaking down the material only when an external trigger is activated. This is a very high level of biological control, but that does not mean that it is an environmental solution,” says Dr. Hagit Ulanovsky, an expert in health and environmental risk management and a lecturer at Achva Academic College. Plastic-degrading enzymes are nothing new, but until now there has been a significant problem: they do not survive the conditions in which plastic is produced. This is where the extraordinary durability of the spores comes into play. “The use of spores is a real innovation. They survive high temperatures, high acidity levels and solvents – these are conditions that destroy every other enzyme,” she explains.
The problem begins with the transition from the lab to reality. "For the spores to start working, very specific conditions of oxygen, humidity, and temperature are needed. Can such conditions be created at a waste site? Is there a way to ensure that the spores will be at exactly the level of acidity they need to break down the plastic? Not sure and actually really unlikely," says Ulanovsky, a graduate interface program.
According to her, the experiment in an industrial composter – in which decomposition was measured within a month – does not necessarily simulate field conditions in Israel. "The conditions in composters are not uniform, and decomposition or decomposition into compost depends greatly on environmental conditions, the composition of the organic waste that is treated in the composter, and the ratio between the amount of organic waste and the amount of biodegradable plastic that is introduced as raw material into the process. In addition, in Israel and most countries in the world, there is no organized infrastructure for waste separation and optimal treatment of organic waste, so in practice, this innovation is not worth much," she explains.
Dissolution is not the end of the road.
Beyond the technical questions, Olanovsky offers a deeper critique of the whole approach. “There is a tendency to solve a problem by ‘improving’ the end of the product’s life, but that is not a real solution. It allows us to continue producing and consuming plastic – just with a cover story of ‘biodegradable plastic.’ Instead of asking: Maybe we shouldn’t be producing it in the first place?” she says.
Currently, there is no regulation in Israel that requires manufacturers to take care of what happens to a product after it becomes waste. "In Europe, there is an extended manufacturer's warranty that requires the company that manufactured the product to take care of it after use. In Israel, in the plastics sector, there is an extended manufacturer's warranty only for packaging, and even that is hardly enforced. There is no one to ensure that this plastic reaches a place where the spores can function properly. In addition, the current approach in Israel encourages the recycling of plastic, and if 'living' plastic with spores reaches a recycling facility, there is a significant risk of harm to the recycling process and the products," she explains.
The road to the shelf is still far.
And what about commercial potential? "The technology still requires change, investment and market education. For now, I don't expect it to be profitable for manufacturers to use it," says Ulanovsky. "It's not clear whether this material meets the requirements of strength, flexibility and cost, and above all, you have to remember that for plastic to degrade, it needs to be in very specific conditions that won't just happen if the plastic is thrown on the side of the road," she explains.
However, Ulnovsky does not dismiss the very nature of scientific progress. "It's a fascinating field. The combination of synthetic biology and materials engineering opens up possibilities that didn't exist before. It could be suitable for very specific applications, for example in medical equipment that is treated as a separate waste stream after use. But as a replacement for the widespread plastics that we know, I believe that will never happen," she says.
The study highlights how the solution to plastic waste is not just technological, but first and foremost systemic. As long as there is no clear policy that reduces plastic production and encourages local solutions, even the most advanced technology will encounter walls of bureaucracy and (for now) unchanging overconsumption. “This technology will not save us from the crisis. What will save us is for us to consume less, demand responsibility from manufacturers, and understand that plastic – biodegradable or not – is a material that should only be used when really needed,” she concludes.
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