Scientists Convert Plastic Bottles Into Vanillin Using Bacteria

The bacteria, E. coli, was genetically modified to convert terephthalic acid into vanillin. Terephthalic acid is a molecule derived from polyethylene terephthalate (PET), a form of plastic created from non-renewable sources, and is commonly used to make plastic water bottles and clamshell packaging. Current recycling techniques can only break it down into its fundamental element parts and create products that continue to contribute to plastic pollution worldwide, yet the world generates 50 million tonnes of such waste every year.

With the E.coli technique, the researchers were able to convert terephthalic acid to vanillin at a rate of 79 percent. By adding bacteria to the degraded plastic waste, the team converted an old plastic bottle into vanillin in demonstrations.

"This is the first example of using a biological system to upcycle plastic waste into a valuable industrial chemical and this has very exciting implications for the circular economy,” said Joanna Sadler, first author of the paper, in a statement. The researchers claim the vanillin yielded is fit for human consumption, but further tests are required to say for sure. "The results from our research have major implications for the field of plastic sustainability and demonstrate the power of synthetic biology to address real-world challenges."