The Next Frontier in Biodegradable Plastics: Enzyme-Embedding Biodegradable Polymers

Plastic pollution and microplastics remain critical global challenges. This review highlights enzyme embedding as a transformative strategy for addressing plastic waste and advancing sustainable material science. Recent developments demonstrate that embedding enzymes into biodegradable polyesters, such as polylactic acid (PLA), poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT), poly(butylene succinate) (PBS), poly(butylene succinate-co-adipate) (PBSA), and poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL), can significantly accelerate degradation in natural environments. Enzymes including cutinases and lipases, when embedded in polymer matrices, enhance enzymatic hydrolysis and seawater biodegradation while preserving mechanical properties. Integration methods such as melt-blending and solvent casting enable effective enzyme embedding, while stabilization strategies, PEGylation, enzyme encapsulation, and nitrogen atmosphere processing, maintain enzyme activity during high-temperature industrial processing. Advances in enzyme dispersion further reduce aggregation and improve performance consistency. Despite the challenge of high costs, enzyme embedding offers a promising pathway toward truly biodegradable plastics and broader applications in sustainable development, including biomaterials, biodegradable agricultural, forestry, fishery materials, and 3D-printed materials.