Nature-Inspired Strategies for Sustainable Degradation of Synthetic Plastics

Synthetic plastics have become integral to our daily lives, yet their escalating production, limited biodegradability, and inadequate waste management contribute to environmental contamination. Biological plastic degradation is one promising strategy to address this pollution. The inherent chemical and physical properties of synthetic plastics, however, pose challenges for microbial enzymes, hindering the effective degradation and the development of a sustainable biological recycling process. This Perspective explores alternative, nature-inspired strategies designed to overcome some key limitations in currently available plastic-degrading enzymes. Nature’s refined degradation pathways for natural polymers, such as cellulose, present a compelling framework for the development of efficient technologies for enzymatic plastic degradation. By drawing insights from nature, we propose a general strategy of employing substrate binding domains to improve targeting and multienzyme scaffolds to overcome enzymatic efficiency limitations. As one potential application, we outline a multienzyme pathway to upcycle polyethylene into alkenes. Employing nature-inspired strategies can present a path toward sustainable solution to the environmental impact of synthetic plastics.