Plastic pollution is one of the biggest environmental challenges the world face today. Billions of tons of plastic have been made over the past decades but only 9% of it has been recycled into new plastics. Harmful microplastics have even made their way into the food chain. Today, recycling has become more important than ever.
What if there was a way to turn plastic into food!!
Creating a ground-breaking technology, researchers from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and Michigan Technological University have successfully converted plastic waste into food. This could greatly help to feed the world’s growing population while addressing ever-growing plastic pollution.
Plastic waste could be a safe and sustainable source of food in future
Scientists used communities of microbes such as bacteria and fungi. These bacteria and fungi work together to metabolize inedible material and waste, to convert plastic into safe and nutritious food. They synthetically altered microbes and programmed them genetically to convert waste into food.
Scientists called their project – the Food Generator concept, providing an innovative solution to transform food production. As per the scientists, this project will allow them “to take the plastic waste generated in the world and turn it into something valuable: food and fuel.”
