How Bacteria Can Help Us Make Better Plastics 🦠

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30 Jul 2023

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Hello and welcome to our blog post on “How Bacteria Can Help Us Make Better Plastics”. In this post, we will share with you some exciting news and insights on how scientists at Berkeley Lab have engineered bacteria to make renewable and recyclable plastics that outperform petrochemical ones. You will learn about:

What is PDK and why is it special?
How did they use bacteria to make bio-based PDK?
What are the benefits of bio-based PDK?
What are the next steps for bio-based PDK?

We hope you will enjoy reading this article and find it informative and interesting.

Plastics are everywhere. They are used to make everything from water bottles and food containers to clothing and electronics. But they also have a huge environmental impact. Most plastics are made from fossil fuels, which contribute to climate change and air pollution. And most plastics are not recycled, but end up in landfills or the ocean, where they harm wildlife and ecosystems.

But what if we could make plastics that are renewable, recyclable, and biodegradable? What if we could use bacteria to turn plant sugars into plastic ingredients? And what if these bio-based plastics had better properties and lower costs than conventional ones?

That’s exactly what a team of researchers at the Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) has achieved. In a study published in Nature Sustainability, they successfully engineered microbes to make biological alternatives for the starting ingredients in an infinitely recyclable plastic known as poly (diketoenamine), or PDK.

What is PDK and why is it special? 🤔

PDK is a new type of plastic that can be repeatedly deconstructed into pristine building blocks and formed into new products with no loss in quality. Unlike traditional plastics, which are mixed with additives that make them hard to recycle, PDK can be easily separated from any additives by using a mild acid solution. This means that PDK can be recycled indefinitely, without generating any waste or pollution.

PDK was first developed by Berkeley Lab scientists in 2019, using building blocks derived from petrochemicals. But they wanted to make PDK more sustainable and eco-friendly, by replacing the fossil-based ingredients with bio-based ones. That’s where bacteria came in.

How did they use bacteria to make bio-based PDK? 🧫

The researchers used a type of bacteria called E. coli, which is commonly found in the gut of humans and animals. They genetically modified the bacteria to produce a molecule called triacetic acid lactone, or bioTAL, from plant sugars. BioTAL is one of the key building blocks for making PDK.

They then used a chemical process to convert bioTAL into another molecule called bioBDO, which is another building block for PDK. By combining bioTAL and bioBDO, they were able to synthesize a PDK polymer with roughly 80% bio-content. They also showed that this bio-based PDK could be recycled just like the petro-based one, by using acid to break it down into its original components.

What are the benefits of bio-based PDK? 🌿

The researchers found that bio-based PDK had several advantages over petro-based PDK, both in terms of performance and cost. For example, they discovered that incorporating bioTAL into the material expanded its working temperature range by up to 60 degrees Celsius compared to the petrochemical version. This means that bio-based PDK could be used for applications that require higher or lower temperatures, such as sports gear or automotive parts.

They also estimated that bio-based PDK could be produced at a lower cost than petro-based PDK, considering the savings from avoiding fossil fuels and externalities such as health, climate, and environmental impacts. They calculated that shifting to a circular economy based on bio-based PDK could result in $1.27 trillion in savings per year globally, as well as creating 700,000 new jobs, mostly in low-income countries.

Time needed for bio-based PDK to degrade⌛

Bio-based PDK is a type of plastic that can be recycled infinitely by using a mild acid solution. However, this does not mean that it is biodegradable, which means that it can be broken down by living organisms such as bacteria or fungi. In fact, bio-based PDK is designed to be resistant to biodegradation, because it has strong chemical bonds that prevent the microbes from accessing and digesting the polymer chains.

According to the researchers who developed bio-based PDK, they wanted to make a plastic that can be reused and repurposed without losing its quality or performance. They also wanted to avoid the problems of conventional plastics, which often degrade into microplastics that pollute the environment and harm wildlife. Therefore, they chose to make bio-based PDK recyclable rather than biodegradable.

However, this does not mean that bio-based PDK is harmful to the environment. On the contrary, bio-based PDK has several advantages over petro-based plastics, such as:

It is made from renewable plant sugars, which reduce the dependence on fossil fuels and greenhouse gas emissions.
It has better properties and lower costs than petro-based plastics, which make it more suitable for various applications and industries.
It can be easily separated from any additives or contaminants by using acid, which makes it easier to recycle and reuse.
It can be recycled indefinitely, which reduces the amount of plastic waste and pollution.

Therefore, bio-based PDK is a sustainable and circular material that can help solve the plastic crisis. However, it is not biodegradable, so it still needs to be properly collected and recycled after use. If you want to learn more about bio-based PDK, you can read this article or watch this video. I hope this answers your question! 😊

Other applications of bio-based PDK 🗃️

📌Some other possible applications of bio-based PDK are:

Adhesives: Bio-based PDK can be used to make strong and durable glues that can bond different materials together. These adhesives can also be easily removed and recycled by using acid, without leaving any residue or damage.
Flexible items: Bio-based PDK can be used to make flexible and elastic products, such as computer cables, watch bands, or clothing. These items can also be reshaped and reused by heating and cooling them.
Building materials: Bio-based PDK can be used to make construction materials, such as insulation, roofing, or flooring. These materials can also be easily dismantled and recycled by using acid, without generating any waste or pollution.
Tough thermosets: Bio-based PDK can be used to make rigid and robust plastics, such as automotive parts, furniture, or appliances. These plastics can also be cured by heating them to form strong cross-linked networks that can withstand high temperatures and pressures.

These are just some examples of how bio-based PDK can be applied in various industries and sectors. Bio-based PDK is a versatile and sustainable material that can replace conventional plastics in many ways. It can also help reduce the environmental impact of plastic production and consumption, by using renewable resources and enabling circular recycling.

How to recycle bio-based PDK at home 🏡

Bio-based PDK is a promising material that could help solve the plastic crisis and reduce the environmental impact of plastic production and consumption.

However, bio-based PDK is not yet widely available in the market, and there is no established infrastructure for collecting and recycling it at home. Therefore, if you have any products made of bio-based PDK, you should not dispose of them in your regular trash or recycling bins, as they might contaminate the waste stream and cause problems for the recycling facilities.

Instead, you should contact the manufacturer or retailer of the product and ask them if they have a take-back program for bio-based PDK. Some companies might offer to collect and recycle their products for free or for a small fee. Alternatively, you can look for local organizations or initiatives that are involved in bio-based PDK research or advocacy, and see if they can accept your products for recycling or reuse.

If you cannot find any suitable option for recycling your bio-based PDK products, you can try to repurpose them for other uses. For example, you can cut, melt, or reshape them into new shapes or forms, such as jewelry, art, or toys. You can also use them as containers, organizers, or decorations. You can find some creative ideas and tutorials online.

Bio-based PDK is a revolutionary material that can be recycled indefinitely by using a mild acid solution. However, this process requires specialized equipment and expertise, and it is not safe or feasible to do it at home. Therefore, you should not attempt to dissolve or recycle your bio-based PDK products by yourself, as you might expose yourself to harmful chemicals or damage your property.

What are the next steps for bio-based PDK? 🚀

The researchers are optimistic that their work will pave the way for a more sustainable and circular plastic industry, that can reduce plastic pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, while creating economic opportunities and social benefits. They plan to continue improving their bacterial production system, as well as exploring other types of microbes and plant sugars that can be used to make bio-based PDK. They also hope to collaborate with industry partners to scale up their technology and bring it to the market.

“We’ve demonstrated that the pathway to 100% bio-content in recyclable plastics is feasible,” said Jeremy Demarteau, a project scientist on the team contributing to biopolymer development. “You’ll see that from us in the future.”

If you want to learn more about this exciting research, you can read the full paper here. You can also watch this video that explains how PDK plastic works and why it is better than conventional plastic.

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Question for reader 😒: What do you think about this innovation? Would you use bio-based PDK products if they were available? Let us know in the comments below! 😊

`📢` ***`We hope you enjoyed this blog post and learned something new!`*`🙌`**

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References:

(1) Making renewable, infinitely recyclable plastics using bacteria. | Link

(2) Making renewable, infinitely recyclable plastics using bacteria - Phys.org.

(3) Making Renewable, Infinitely Recyclable Plastics Using Bacteria. | Link

(4) Making Renewable, Infinitely Recyclable Plastics Using Bacteria. | Link

(5) Plastic Eating Bacteria – Can it Work? | RTS - Recycle Track Systems.

(6) Plastic-eating bacteria: Engineering and impact | Live Science.

(7) How a bacterium may help solve the plastic pollution crisis. | Link

(8) Plastic Pollution in The Ocean | 2023 Facts and Statistics.

(9) New UN ‘roadmap’ shows how to drastically slash plastic pollution. | Link

(10) 100+ Marine Ocean Plastic Pollution Statistics & Facts (2023 Update). | Link

(11) Everything you need to know about plastic pollution. | Link

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