Latest news with #plasticwaste
Fast Company
14 hours ago
- Health
- Fast Company
Scientists engineer bacteria to turn plastic waste into painkillers
Tales of turning water into wine or weaving straw into gold are one thing, but a new study shows that scientists can transform trash into . . . Tylenol? Scientists at the University of Edinburgh were able to convert plastic waste into paracetamol, aka acetaminophen, the active ingredient in the pain reliever Tylenol. Stranger yet, they pulled off the alchemical feat using the bacteria E. coli. 'We're able to transform a prolific environmental and societal waste into such a globally important medication in a way that's completely impossible, using chemistry alone or using biology alone,' says study coauthor Stephen Wallace, a chemical biotechnologist at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. The research team began with polyethylene terephthalate (PET), a common plastic found in food packaging and polyester clothing. Using established chemical methods, they broke down the PET plastic into a precursor molecule and then added it into a cell culture of E. coli that was genetically modified. Enzymes in the modified E. coli bacteria were able to convert the plastic precursor into paracetamol 92% of the time. The transformation relies on a chemical process known as a Lossen rearrangement, which can convert one kind of molecule into a different kind of molecule. Scientists have known about the Lossen rearrangement for more than 100 years, but generally observe the phenomenon in a flask or a test tube. The research group is now working with pharmaceutical makers including AstraZeneca, one of the study's sponsors, to replicate the same chemical transformations on a larger scale. The new research isn't the first to observe the way that bacteria can be deployed to usefully break down plastic. Researchers have previously studied how wastewater bacteria found in urban waterways use a special enzyme to chew up plastic trash and convert it into carbon-based food. As we grapple with the cascading environmental and health effects that decades of proliferating plastics have wrought on the planet, bacteria capable of converting plastic into harmless or even useful molecules is a promising area of research.
WIRED
a day ago
- Health
- WIRED
The Next Acetaminophen Tablet You Take Could Be Made From PET
Jun 27, 2025 8:53 AM This research could represent the first documented case of acetaminophen production from plastic waste using E. coli bacteria. acetaminophen pill box, boxpaper, blister tablets Photograph: Jorge Martinez Researchers at the University of Edinburgh have succeeded in transforming certain plastic waste into acetaminophen using the natural properties of the common bacterium Escherichia coli ( E. coli ). This breakthrough represents a milestone with the potential to drive more sustainable methods of drug production and, at the same time, contribute to the reduction of plastic pollution globally. The study, led by Stephen Wallace, revealed that E. coli cells contain phosphate, an organic compound capable of catalyzing a chemical reaction known as Lossen rearrangement. In general terms, this process involves the rearrangement of the atoms of a hydroxamate ester molecule to form a new structure called isocyanate, a chemical intermediate that, when reacted with water, produces primary amines. These substances are essential in numerous biological processes and in drug synthesis. Using synthetic biology, the scientists manipulated the bacteria to redirect their internal chemistry and transform a PET-derived molecule known as terephthalic acid into the active ingredient in acetaminophen. They used a fermentation process, similar to that used in brewing beer, to accelerate the conversion of industrial PET waste into the drug, obtaining results in less than 24 hours. According to the findings, approximately 90 percent of the final product corresponded to acetaminophen. Importantly, this conversion was done at room temperature and with virtually no carbon emissions, suggesting that the drug can be produced in a more environmentally friendly way. Wallace noted that what was most surprising about the process was that the Lossen rearrangement occurred naturally within living bacteria, without the need for laboratory catalysts. That is, they took advantage of the microbial cells' own capabilities to trigger the desired reaction. 'The funny thing is that we didn't have to teach the bacteria how to do the reaction: The trick was to realize that they already had the tools, and we just had to guide them,' explained the researcher in statements reported by El País. 'We used synthetic biology to build new metabolic pathways within the bacteria that guide their chemistry toward producing the compound we wanted. In this case, a drug.' Sustainable Drug Production The work, published in the journal Nature, could be the first documented case of acetaminophen production from plastic waste using E. coli . However, the authors stress that further studies will be necessary to achieve industrial-scale production. In addition, they caution that the safety and efficacy of the resulting drug in humans have yet to be evaluated, so future research will be required. Despite these limitations, the scientists emphasize that their results open up new possibilities for addressing the problem of plastic waste and reducing greenhouse gas emissions associated with drug manufacturing. Currently, the production of drugs such as acetaminophen consumes thousands of tons of fossil fuels, especially petroleum, which contributes significantly to climate change. In turn, PET generates more than 350 million tons of waste per year, causing serious damage to the environment. Although this material is recyclable, current methods often result in products that perpetuate global plastic pollution. 'This work demonstrates that PET plastic is not just a waste product or a material destined to become more plastic: Microorganisms can transform it into valuable new products, including those with therapeutic potential,' concluded Wallace. This story originally appeared on WIRED en Español and has been translated from Spanish.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Malaysia will stop accepting U.S. plastic waste, creating a dilemma for California
Malaysia will ban plastic waste imports from the U.S. starting Tuesday because of America's failure to abide by the Basel Convention treaty on international waste transfers, in a move that could have significant consequences for California. Malaysia emerged as a major destination for U.S. waste after China banned American waste imports in 2018. California shipped 864 shipping containers, or more than 10 million pounds of plastic waste, to Malaysia in 2024, according to the Basel Action Network, an advocacy group. That was second only to Georgia among U.S. states. Under Malaysian waste guidelines announced last month, the country will no longer accept plastic waste and hazardous waste from nations that didn't ratify the Basel Convention, the international treaty designed to reduce the international movement of hazardous and other waste. The U.S. is one of just a handful of countries, including Fiji and Haiti, that hasn't signed the pact. Malaysia will continue to accept plastic waste from Basel signatories. However, exports from those countries will be subject to pre-inspection at the nation of origin, according to the new guidelines Steve Wong, the chief executive of Fukutomi, a Hong Kong-based global plastic recycling company, suggests it is already having an effect on shipping ports. "With scrap inventories building up at ports and yards, and no clear guidance yet on the enforcement discretion or timeline of Malaysia's new system, the market for imported plastic waste has effectively frozen," he wrote in an email to people who follow recycling trends, which was shared with The Times. Much of California's plastic waste is sent overseas. A Los Angeles port spokesman said he was unaware of the impending ban. Long Beach port officials didn't immediately respond to requests for comment. An Oakland port spokesman said that facility "hasn't historically seen much volume in this commodity, so we don't anticipate any impact from this change." According to Wong's email, the coming ban has already disrupted trash export routes significantly, particularly for the plastics used in grocery bags, trash can liners and food wrap. "The scrap plastics market in Malaysia has come to a virtual standstill amid tightening import regulations and widespread uncertainty ahead of the new control regime taking effect on 1 July 2025," Wong wrote in the email. "Recyclers, traders, and suppliers are all reporting minimal or no movement of plastic waste." Jim Puckett of the Seattle-based Basel Action Network cheered Malaysia's decision. "The 'recycling' is doing more harm than good as only a fraction of the exports ever get recycled," said Puckett, the group's founder and chief of strategic direction. "The plastics that are not feasible to be recycled are often hazardous, or contain microplastics, which are commonly dumped, burned, or released into waterways. The export of plastic waste for recycling is a complete sham and it is a relief that the U.S. contribution to this plastic waste shell game is increasingly outlawed." According to California's waste agency, CalRecycle, the state exported 11.3 million tons of recyclable materials overseas to places such as Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, China, Taiwan, South Korea, Mexico and Canada — in 2022. That number includes 100 million pounds of scrap plastic. Although the Basel Action Network's numbers indicate more than 10 million pounds went to Malaysia, CalRecycle's 2022 report didn't break down plastic exports to individual nations. A spokesperson for CalRecycle said that California "is working to reduce plastic pollution in our state and around the world" and that exports of scrap plastic have significantly declined over the last 10 years. Maria West, the agency's communications director, said that in 2018, California exported roughly 421,000 tons, or nearly 842 million pounds of plastic scrap to Malaysia. She said that number dropped 98% in 2024 to 8,000 tons, or about 16 million pounds. Several major waste companies in California, including Athens Services and Recology, didn't immediately respond to requests for comment. Critics of California's waste system say a 1989 state law that requires cities and jurisdictions to divert waste from landfills led to an increase in the export of waste overseas. Until 2018, China was the major importer of U.S. plastic waste. However, after China implemented it's National Sword policy — which banned the import of most plastic waste — nations began sending their waste elsewhere, often to less economically advantaged nations such as Malaysia, Vietnam and Thailand. Although some of the plastic is recycled in these nations, much of it is incinerated or placed in landfills, where it chokes rivers and flows into the ocean. Waste advocates such as the Basel Action Network and participants in the Basel Convention are working to reduce the international movement of contaminated, nonrecyclable plastic from economically advantaged countries, such as the United States, to less advantaged nations. Jan Dell, the president of LastBeachCleanUp, a Laguna Beach-based anti-plastic waste organization, praised the Malaysian decision. "We're calling on cities, waste companies, brokers, and shipping companies to respect Malaysia's sovereign law and STOP all plastic waste shipments," she wrote in an email. The plastic waste must NOT be re-rerouted to other poor countries." In 2022, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 54, a landmark plastic law that is designed to establish a circular economy for single-use plastic products and packaging. The law addresses the export of plastic waste and requires product manufacturers to certify that their products are being recycled or composted in ways that reduce environmental pollution and minimize health effects for people who live near where the product is sent. CalRecycle is currently working on drafting regulations that will enable the implementation of the law, but West, the agency's spokeswoman, said the law requires that for any material to be considered recycled, it "must go to responsible end markets, ensuring material actually gets recycled instead of becoming waste in landfills or the environment." This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
National Post
4 days ago
- Health
- National Post
E.coli can turn plastic into painkillers, chemists discover
Scientists have found a way to use the bacteria to convert plastic waste into a popular painkiller, a study said Monday, though outside experts doubted the technique would make a dent in the fight against plastic pollution. Article content Paracetamol, which is one of the most commonly used drugs worldwide, is made from the derivatives of fossil fuels, often by Asia-based subcontractors using cheap, polluting methods that contribute to climate change. Article content The world is also facing an escalating crisis of plastic pollution, with countries set for another bruising round of negotiations in August in the hope of sealing an international treaty to reduce plastic waste. Article content Article content The British team of researchers behind the new study sought to find a solution to the two problems by roping in a third — which is normally known for making people sick when they eat contaminated food. Article content First the chemists used a molecule derived from PET plastic, which is used in bottles and many other plastic products the world over, to spark a chemical reaction in a strain of Article content This created a molecule they called PABA, according to the Nature Chemistry study, which was partly funded by drug firm AstraZeneca. Article content By genetically modifying the bacteria, the chemists were able to transform their molecule into acetaminophen, also known as paracetamol. Article content Article content 'This work demonstrates that PET plastic isn't just waste or a material destined to become more plastic — it can be transformed by microorganisms into valuable new products, including those with potential for treating disease,' lead study Stephen Wallace said in a statement. Article content Article content Singaporean researchers not involved in the study praised how it combined synthetic and biological chemistry. Article content But 'several practical considerations remain' to take this idea beyond the proof-of-concept stage, they wrote in a linked commentary in the journal Nature Chemistry. Article content The chemical reaction produces only a limited amount of PABA molecules, which 'may be insufficient for industrial applications', they wrote. Article content Melissa Valliant, communications director of the Beyond Plastics project of Bennington College in the United States, expressed scepticism. Article content 'These discoveries never scale up to anything significant enough to tackle the massive plastic pollution problem.' Article content
NHK
4 days ago
- General
- NHK
June 24 NEWSROOM TOKYO Bangkok Live
Lineup: 1. People in India unite to tackle plastic waste 2. Finding solutions to plastic waste problem
