Reader Response Summary (Draft 1)

The article “Plastic-Eating Enzyme Could Eliminate Billions of Tons of Landfill Waste”, introduces the plastic-eating enzyme breakthrough published by Nature that could potentially solve plastic waste issues. The plastic-eating enzyme is an innovation that has the capability of reducing plastic waste on a macro scale. Thus, minimizing the detrimental effects of plastic waste. The trial results show that the enzyme can complete a process known as the “circular process” which has the potential to break down plastic compounds rapidly. The article also states that the project fixates on the compound polyethylene terephthalate (PET) which takes up 12% of global waste and an advanced natural enzyme, FAST-PETase, was reconstructed to tackle PET plastics. Intensive research of components found in plastic further pushed the benefits of FAST-PETase. Although recycling is the clear-cut method to eliminate extensive plastic waste, minimal efforts were seen. Current methods also contain bittersweet ramifications that have many options for improvement. Going forward with the innovation, the team plans to plunge into the industrial sector for its applications. One main concern is the requirement for the enzyme to operate at ambient temperatures to make the whole project feasible. 

The seminal work on plastic-eating enzymes has the potential to redefine the methods of minimizing plastic waste. The plastic-eating enzyme can reduce air pollution from the traditional incineration method and reduce the time taken for plastic decomposition, though much leaves to be desired in terms of its cost-efficiency.

   The innovation can introduce a new approach to plastic decomposition instead of incineration. According to Rinku et al. (2016), the toxic substances released pose a threat to vegetation, human and animal health, and the environment as a whole. The incineration process also releases hazardous substances that in turn increase the risk of heart disease, asthma, etc. Also, the enzyme provides corporations to initiate their own opportunity to start recycling rather than waiting for the countries’ respective authorities to handle it (Alper, 2022). Furthermore, the breakthrough can convert how industries think of “recycling”. Many corporations would be more willing to take the first initiative to kickstart their recycling process.

Another benefit of the plastic-eating enzyme is its ability to reduce the time taken for plastic decomposition. The plastic waste management method that is heavily factored in on time is landfill. A landfill refers to the piling up of plastic waste that naturally degrades on its own. Normally, plastic items can take up to 1,000 years to degrade in landfills. Even commonly used plastic bags can range from 10 to 1,000 years (Leblanc, 2021). Landfills require a massive land size to withhold the quantity of plastic waste. In addition to its prolonged time consumption, many undesirable traits of landfill start to pop out. According to the article, the plastic-eating enzyme can potentially degrade plastic waste in as little as 24 hours. This drastic change could revolutionize the critical thinking of using landfills, with the addition of the reduced land size requirements for landfills.

At the same time, many would argue the cost-efficiency against its effectiveness. The complication of the innovation is the increased effectiveness it brings to the community. On condition of increased effectiveness would the plastic-eating enzyme be a noteworthy innovation, placing both factors into consideration. The cost of creating/improving the plastic-eating enzyme should, in theory, have a substantial increase in its effectiveness, an insignificant increase can result in the downfall of the enzyme. Many can argue that the cost placed into the research will be placed to better use in other sectors. In addition, plastic production is expected to double in the following decades (Elizabeth 2019). The plastic-eating enzyme needs to perform substantially to substitute current traditional methods of plastic management. 

In conclusion, there is sufficient evidence to prove the benefits of the plastic-eating enzyme in terms of its ability to circumvent air pollution and reduce the time on plastic decomposition. However, the innovation of the plastic-eating enzyme must be backed up with detailed statistics to highlight the key differences between the enzyme over the traditional methods of plastic waste management. Ultimately, the plastic-eating enzyme has the utmost potential to present the world with a quick and less harmful method to decompose plastic which has been a thorn in the environment, and perhaps tackling this innovation by focusing on the increment of its effectiveness would help accelerate the improvement of the plastic-eating enzymes.

 

Leblanc, R. (2021, January 16). How long will it take that bag of trash to decompose in a landfill? LiveAbout. https://www.liveabout.com/how-long-does-it-take-garbage-to-decompose-2878033

Anonymous. (2022, April 27). Plastic-eating enzyme could eliminate billions of tons of landfill waste. UT News. https://news.utexas.edu/2022/04/27/plastic-eating-enzyme-could-eliminate-billions-of-tons-of-landfill-waste/#:~:text=Apr%2027%2C%202022-,Plastic%2Deating%20Enzyme%20Could%20Eliminate%20Billions%20of%20Tons%20of%20Landfill,matter%20of%20hours%20to%20days

Rinku, V., Vinoda, K. S., Papireddy, M., & Gowda, N. S. (2016, August 4). Toxic Pollutants from Plastic Waste- A Review. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S187802961630158X

Elizabeth, R. (2019, March 12). Is burning plastic waste a good idea? National Geographic. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/should-we-burn-plastic-waste