Scientists have discovered and are actively studying bacteria that have evolved the ability to “eat” plastic. This isn’t just a matter of breaking it down; the bacteria are actually consuming the plastic as a food source to get energy.
This incredible feat is performed using specialized enzymes. For example, a bacterium named *Ideonella sakaiensis*, first discovered in a Japanese recycling plant, produces two enzymes that work together to break down polyethylene terephthalate (PET), the plastic used in many water bottles.
The enzymes work in a two-step process:
1. **PETase** breaks down the large PET plastic molecule into an intermediate substance.
2. **MHETase** then breaks that intermediate down into smaller molecules, which the bacteria can absorb and use as a source of carbon to fuel their growth and reproduction.
This remarkable natural process holds significant promise for a new, biological approach to recycling and cleaning up plastic pollution. Researchers are now working to engineer these enzymes to be faster and more efficient, hoping to scale up this process to deal with the billions of tons of plastic waste in landfills and oceans.