IBL Spotlight - Han de Winde and IBL Analytical Facility
- Datum
- woensdag 12 maart 2025
- Tijd
- Locatie
- Sylvius Building
- Zaal
- Room 1.4.31
Han de Winde
Of quests, the holy grail and other challenges: bioremediation and enzymatic recycling of recalcitrant plastics
Plastics are flexible and versatile man-made polymers that are used for many applications. Worldwide production and application of plastics is enormous and forecasted to keep growing rapidly, which comes with an equally enormous burden on the environment. Of an estimated 400 Mt of different plastics produced at world scale, only 15% is currently recycled, roughly 25% is incinerated and hence, around 60% is estimated to accumulate in the environment. Incineration and release pose a huge environmental threat, with gradual fragmentation into micro- and nanoplastics making plastics ubiquitous and persistent in nature.
Current production, use and environmental accumulation of plastics is intrinsically correlated with a linear take-make-dispose economic approach towards consumer materials. To abandon this linear approach and transition towards a circular plastics economy, the challenge is to develop efficient and environmentally friendly and sustainable recycling processes, and economically feasible revalorization strategies. Currently available mechanical recycling causes breakage and progressive shortening of polymer chains and hence, rapid loss of material quality. Chemical recycling of plastics generally involves high temperatures and pressures and hence, energy demand, release of toxic compounds, and accumulation of chemical waste.
Polyamides, polyurethanes and polystyrene are among the most abundant and widely used plastics in the world. Because of their rigid and mostly crystalline structures these plastics are highly resistant against degradation. Chemical degradation is dependent on high temperatures and pressures and the use of expensive catalysts and solvents, yielding complex and toxic mixtures of monomers, derivatives and waste compounds.
Increasing evidence indicates that various bacteria and fungi slowly but surely can degrade recalcitrant man-made polymeric materials. Following the development of successful microbial enzymatic degradation and recycling processes for PET in the last decade, the quest is now on for microbial enzymes that can attack the more recalcitrant plastics as a basis for sustainable recycling as well as bioremediation options. This lecture will present and discuss current research and achievements in this challenging and exciting field of microbial biotechnology innovations.
IBL Analytical Facility
Our presentation will provide insights into the IBL analytical facility’s capabilities and show examples of how they can be utilized to address research questions.