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Updated: May 9, 2025

Designed for Molecular Recycling: A Lignin-Derived Semi-aromatic Biobased Polymer
Published on: November 30, 2020
Enzymatic recycling and microbial upcycling for a circular plastics bioeconomy
Isabel Pardo1, Maria T Manoli1, Susana Capel1
1Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas Margarita Salas, CSIC, Madrid, Spain; Interdisciplinary Platform SusPlast, CSIC, Spain.
Abstract:
Since the 1950s, plastics have become commodity materials that are present in virtually every aspect of our daily lives. However, the current economic model of plastics is fundamentally linear, with less than 10% of plastics returning to the value chain at their end of life. In recent years, efforts have been dedicated to develop new technologies that can change this model to a circular economy for plastics, including enzymatic recycling and biological upcycling to value-added products. Here, we will review recent advances made in this rapidly evolving field and discuss how further development of these technologies could contribute to reduce the share of postconsumer plastic waste that is diverted toward landfilling and incineration.
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