‘Plastic-eating’ enzymes to be deployed to combat waste polyester clothing
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Scientists at the University of Portsmouth are to develop ‘plastic-eating’ enzymes that could help solve the ever-growing problem of waste polyester clothing.
Polyester is the most widely used clothing fibre in the world but is currently not a sustainable textile option and will likely end up discarded in landfill or polluting the environment. It is made from polyethylene terephthalate (PET), one of the most common consumer plastics.
Researchers at the University’s Centre for Enzyme Innovation have already developed enzyme technology to reduce single-use plastics, including PET, to their chemical building blocks, leading to safe and energy efficient recycling. Now they have set their sights on creating a similar process for polyester textiles.
The process of recycling synthetic fabrics using enzymes will not be an easy one. It is estimated that these textiles account for 60% of clothes that are worn1
The addition of dyes and other chemical treatments make it even harder for these t...
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