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Plastic-eating enzyme could eliminate billions of tons of landfill waste

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Re: Plastic-eating enzyme could eliminate billions of tons of landfill waste

#21

Post by r00fus »

ars wrote: post #3

Even smarter would be to take that plastic and burn it for energy, instead of giving that energy to an enzyme, that will just make waste heat. After reading the article instead of the headline: They imply they can turn the plastic back into a monomer and then rebuild it as a new polymer. Maybe that would work, but I have huge doubts - a monomer is very chemically active, and it really wants to polymerize. That enzyme…

Isn't the problem with plastic burning the fact that most plastic waste is actually contaminated with food/non-plastics that burn differently?

Re: Plastic-eating enzyme could eliminate billions of tons of landfill waste

#22

Post by williamtwild »

ars wrote: post #3

Even smarter would be to take that plastic and burn it for energy, instead of giving that energy to an enzyme, that will just make waste heat. After reading the article instead of the headline: They imply they can turn the plastic back into a monomer and then rebuild it as a new polymer. Maybe that would work, but I have huge doubts - a monomer is very chemically active, and it really wants to polymerize. That enzyme…

Which part is false? There is at least one part of that statement that is absolutely true.

Re: Plastic-eating enzyme could eliminate billions of tons of landfill waste

#23

Post by CameronNemo »

abcc8 wrote: post #19
powerbroker wrote: post #11

I understand that the pits, that are the foundation of landfills, are lined with impermeable plastic sheets. Their purpose is to avoid ground-water contamination. So, there may be some redesign of landfills required before this technology can succeed.

I was thinking the same. Worst case scenario with a solution like this one is that these organisms get into the wild, gain more mutations, and then rapidly release a large volume of carbon, currently sequestered as plastic, into the atmosphere. Or, plastic-tropic organisms used as a weapon, sprayed over cities, etc.

Perhaps plastic should start being compressed into bricks for long term storage that does not lead to leaching.

Re: Plastic-eating enzyme could eliminate billions of tons of landfill waste

#24

Post by devops_monkey »

tda wrote: post #9

Plastic waste should be burned for heat and/or electricity in an incinerator. Every other usage/disposal method seems like a waste to me. Instead of burning fossil fuels directly, we get much more value from them if we first turn it into some plastic product, and only then burn it. And as long as we keep burning fossil fuels for heat and power, let's not wate out attention on recycling (downcycling actually) plastics…

This is actually the "best" answer for our plastics problem. There was an NPR/Planet Money podcast on it recently here: https://www.npr.org/2020/09/11/912150085/waste-land and there are plenty of other sources that all agree on this premise. I have worked in waste management a few years ago and recycling is not the long-term solution.

Re: Plastic-eating enzyme could eliminate billions of tons of landfill waste

#25

Post by faitswulff »

abcc8 wrote: post #19
powerbroker wrote: post #11

I understand that the pits, that are the foundation of landfills, are lined with impermeable plastic sheets. Their purpose is to avoid ground-water contamination. So, there may be some redesign of landfills required before this technology can succeed.

I was thinking the same. Worst case scenario with a solution like this one is that these organisms get into the wild, gain more mutations, and then rapidly release a large volume of carbon, currently sequestered as plastic, into the atmosphere. Or, plastic-tropic organisms used as a weapon, sprayed over cities, etc.

Note: the article talks about an enzyme, which is a simple protein. They might manufacture it via organic means, but the enzyme by itself has no capacity to reproduce or mutate.

Re: Plastic-eating enzyme could eliminate billions of tons of landfill waste

#26

Post by MetaWhirledPeas »

williamtwild wrote: post #20
r00fus wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Doesn't burning plastic produce large amounts of toxic off gassing?

Yes , it does. Burning plastic without somehow accounting for that is a terrible idea.

Is there a way to mitigate this, or make use of the waste gasses?

Re: Plastic-eating enzyme could eliminate billions of tons of landfill waste

#27

Post by williamtwild »

r00fus wrote: post #21
ars wrote: post #3

Even smarter would be to take that plastic and burn it for energy, instead of giving that energy to an enzyme, that will just make waste heat. After reading the article instead of the headline: They imply they can turn the plastic back into a monomer and then rebuild it as a new polymer. Maybe that would work, but I have huge doubts - a monomer is very chemically active, and it really wants to polymerize. That enzyme…

Isn't the problem with plastic burning the fact that most plastic waste is actually contaminated with food/non-plastics that burn differently?

Yes. I see quite a few three letter accounts advocating for burning plastic. Let them throw some in their fireplace of the chimnea while relaxing with the family and see how that goes.

Re: Plastic-eating enzyme could eliminate billions of tons of landfill waste

#28

Post by [deleted] »

faitswulff wrote: post #25
abcc8 wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I was thinking the same. Worst case scenario with a solution like this one is that these organisms get into the wild, gain more mutations, and then rapidly release a large volume of carbon, currently sequestered as plastic, into the atmosphere. Or, plastic-tropic organisms used as a weapon, sprayed over cities, etc.

Note: the article talks about an enzyme, which is a simple protein. They might manufacture it via organic means, but the enzyme by itself has no capacity to reproduce or mutate.

[deleted]

Re: Plastic-eating enzyme could eliminate billions of tons of landfill waste

#29

Post by Animats »

northisup wrote: post #16

what are the biproducts?

That's the real question. It doesn't "eliminate" anything. It turns it into - what? Organic sludge? Is that useful for something?

Plastic bottle recycling into new plastic pellets works quite well. Southern California has a huge plant doing it. Non-bottle plastic is more of a problem but less of the volume.

Re: Plastic-eating enzyme could eliminate billions of tons of landfill waste

#30

Post by [deleted] »

r00fus wrote: post #14
tda wrote: post #9

Plastic waste should be burned for heat and/or electricity in an incinerator. Every other usage/disposal method seems like a waste to me. Instead of burning fossil fuels directly, we get much more value from them if we first turn it into some plastic product, and only then burn it. And as long as we keep burning fossil fuels for heat and power, let's not wate out attention on recycling (downcycling actually) plastics…

Doesn't burning plastic produce large amounts of toxic off gassing?

[deleted]
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