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Updated: Sep 11, 2025

Scalable Step-by-Step Approach of Sustainable Bioplastic Production from Food Waste
Published on: July 18, 2025
Bio-upcycling PET waste: Advances in enzymatic hydrolysis and biosynthesis of value-added products
Yu Zhou1, Jiaxing Zhang2, Shengping You3
1Chemical Engineering Research Centre, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, PR China; Singapore Institute of Food and Biotechnology Innovation (SIFBI), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 31 Biopolis Way, Nanos, Singapore 138669, Singapore.
Abstract:
With excellent mechanical properties and chemical stability, poly (ethylene terephthalate) (PET), an engineering plastic, is widely applied in textiles and packaging. However, the widespread use and low biodegradability of PET have resulted in significant environmental pollution. Recent advances in PET hydrolase discovery and engineering have driven the rapid advancement of PET bio-recycling, while efficient PET hydrolases can depolymerize PET into monomers under mild conditions, providing a sustainable approach to potentially addressing the plastic pollution issue. However, PET enzymatic hydrolysis still faces some technical challenges, such as poor stability of the hydrolases and low efficiency in degrading high-crystalline PET. Thus, this review summarizes recent advances in strategies to enhance the efficiency of PET enzymatic hydrolysis and explores the interplay of factors affecting PET hydrolysis efficiency. Furthermore, we highlight the progress in metabolic engineering approaches for the biotransformation of PET degradation products into higher value chemicals, providing insights into achieving efficient PET bio-recycling. This review systematically integrates key factors for enhancing the PET enzymatic hydrolysis efficiency and showcases successful examples of PET waste further valorization, providing valuable references and insights for the industrialization of PET bio-upcycling.
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