Introduction

Environmental Issues

Pollution is one of the largest environmental issues facing the globe today. Around 359 million tons of plastic waste are produced annually, of which 150–200 million tons end up in landfills or the environment.

Current Recycling

Enzymes such as cutinases and hydrolases are being studied for plastic degradation, but many suffer from low thermal stability. PET plastics require degradation temperatures above 70°C, and most enzymes cannot maintain structure at these temperatures.