Vanillin from plastic bottles Humanity produces more than 380 | Tech for Good

Vanillin from plastic bottles

Humanity produces more than 380 million tonnes of plastic every year. Over 8 million tons of plastic waste escapes into our oceans. A team of researchers from the University of Edinburg has developed a solution to address this plastic problem. And it smells vanilla.

The scientists were able to transform plastic bottles into vanilla flavoring for the first time using genetically modified bacteria. The bacteria, E. coli, converts terephthalic acid into vanillin. Terephthalic acid is a molecule derived from polyethylene terephthalate (PET). This form of plastic created from non-renewable sources is commonly used to make plastic water bottles. The world generates 50 million tonnes of such waste every year. Current recycling techniques can only break it down into elements that continue to contribute to plastic pollution.

E.coli technique converts terephthalic acid to vanillin at an impressing rate of 79 percent. By adding bacteria to the degraded plastic waste, the scientists transformed an old plastic bottle into vanillin in demonstrations. The reaction is mild and occurs at room temperature. It requires no additional reagents and generates no hazardous waste. The Edinburg team claims the vanillin is fit for human consumption, but they need further tests to say for sure.

The food, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical industries, herbicides, antifoaming agents, cleaning products widely use vanillin. Global demand was over 37 000 tonnes in 2018. Analysts expect it to grow to 59 000 tonnes with a revenue forecast of $734 million by 2025.

The new biotechnological approach for its synthesis can help tackle the plastic waste crisis and enable a circular economy. And as the demand for vanillin far exceeds the supply from vanilla beans (‘natural vanillin’), this solution may also become economically attractive.

Sources: Interesting Engineering, Green Chemistry journal

#recycle #biotech