BOTTLE Consortium shows enzyme-based plastics recycling is more energy efficient

In Colorado, researchers in the Bio-Optimized Technologies to keep Thermoplastics out of Landfills and the Environment (BOTTLE) Consortium, including the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and the University of Portsmouth, identified using enzymes as a more sustainable approach for recycling polyethylene terephthalate (PET), a common plastic in single-use beverage bottles, clothing, and food packaging.

The concept, if further developed and implemented at scale, could lead to new opportunities for PET recycling and create a mechanism for recycling textiles and other materials also made from PET that are traditionally not recycled today. An analysis shows enzyme-recycled PET has potential improvement over conventional, fossil-based methods of PET production across a broad spectrum of energy, carbon, and socioeconomic impacts.

This research is funded by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Manufacturing Office and the Bioenergy Technologies Office.