Plastic-Degrading Enzymes Found in Landfills

A Revolutionary Step Towards Sustainable Plastic Waste Management

Plastic pollution remains one of the most pressing environmental challenges of the 21st century. Despite widespread recycling efforts, vast quantities of plastic waste accumulate in landfills, oceans, and natural habitats, causing severe ecological and human health issues. Traditional mechanical recycling methods have limitations, and many plastics persist for hundreds of years in the environment.

However, groundbreaking research published in March 2025 has identified over 31,000 potential plastic-degrading enzymes from landfill environments around the world. This discovery, enabled by advanced metagenomics and machine learning techniques, promises to revolutionise the way plastic waste is managed — through enzymatic and microbial degradation.

At BioGlobe, an international research and development laboratory specialising in enzyme remediation for major environmental pollutants such as oil spills, raw sewage, nitrates, and coastal pollution, we are excited to present an in-depth overview of this remarkable development. We explore what these plastic-degrading enzymes are, how they were discovered, their potential applications, and how they align with BioGlobe’s mission to advance sustainable remediation technologies globally.

The Plastic Pollution Crisis: Why New Solutions Are Urgently Needed

Plastic materials, especially single-use plastics, have become ubiquitous due to their durability, versatility, and low cost. Yet, these same properties make them notoriously difficult to break down once discarded.

Current Plastic Waste Challenges:

• Massive Accumulation: Over 300 million tonnes of plastic are produced annually worldwide. Only a fraction is recycled; the rest ends up in landfills or natural environments.
• Environmental Impact: Plastics degrade slowly, fragmenting into microplastics that contaminate soil, waterways, and oceans, entering the food chain and affecting wildlife and human health.
• Inefficient Recycling: Mechanical recycling often downgrades plastic quality, and many plastic types are incompatible with current recycling systems.
• Toxicity Risks: Additives and by-products from plastic degradation can be toxic and persistent.

Clearly, innovative, eco-friendly, and efficient plastic degradation technologies are urgently required to complement existing waste management strategies.

Enzymatic Degradation of Plastics: An Emerging Hope

Enzymes are biological catalysts that speed up chemical reactions. Certain naturally occurring enzymes have the remarkable ability to break down plastic polymers into smaller, less harmful molecules, which can then be further metabolised by microorganisms.

Among the most promising plastic-degrading enzymes are:

• PETase and MHETase: Capable of breaking down polyethylene terephthalate (PET), a common plastic in bottles and textiles.
• Polyurethane-degrading enzymes: Target polyurethane foams used in furniture and insulation.
• Polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) degrading enzymes: Traditionally considered very resistant to biodegradation but recently found to be susceptible to some microbial enzymes.

Despite early successes, the variety and efficiency of known plastic-degrading enzymes were limited — until now.

The March 2025 Breakthrough: Identifying Over 31,000 Potential Plastic-Degrading Enzymes

Researchers from multiple international institutions utilised metagenomics — the study of genetic material recovered directly from environmental samples — combined with cutting-edge machine learning algorithms to scan thousands of landfill samples worldwide.

What Did They Find?

• Over 31,000 unique enzyme sequences with the potential to degrade various plastic polymers.
• Enzymes spanning a wide range of functions, including novel classes previously unknown to science.
• Many of these enzymes are encoded by microbes thriving in landfill ecosystems, adapted over decades to persist in plastic-rich environments.

How Metagenomics and Machine Learning Enabled This Discovery

Traditional enzyme discovery involves isolating microbes, culturing them, and testing enzymatic activity — a time-consuming and limited approach.

By contrast, metagenomics sequences all DNA from environmental samples, capturing the full microbial community’s genetic diversity without the need for culturing.

Machine learning algorithms then analyse these vast datasets to:

• Predict enzyme functions based on sequence patterns.
• Identify plastic-degrading capabilities.
• Prioritise promising candidates for experimental validation.

This integrated approach accelerated discovery exponentially compared to traditional methods.

Implications for Plastic Waste Management

The discovery of this vast reservoir of plastic-degrading enzymes opens several promising pathways for tackling plastic pollution:

1. Development of Enzyme-Based Recycling Technologies

By harnessing these enzymes, scientists can develop biocatalytic recycling processes that break down plastics into their original monomers for repolymerisation, enabling truly circular plastic economies.

2. Environmental Bioremediation

Enzyme cocktails derived from landfill microbes could be deployed to contaminated sites or integrated into waste treatment facilities to accelerate plastic biodegradation.

3. Engineering Superior Enzymes

With the sequence data and machine learning models, enzymes can be protein-engineered or combined in synthetic consortia for enhanced activity, stability, and substrate range.

4. Reduced Reliance on Harmful Chemicals

Enzymatic degradation offers a mild, selective, and environmentally benign alternative to chemical treatments that often involve harsh reagents and high energy inputs.

Challenges and Research Frontiers

While the potential is enormous, translating enzyme discoveries into industrial-scale solutions requires overcoming several challenges:

• Enzyme Efficiency and Specificity: Many newly identified enzymes require optimisation to improve catalytic rates and substrate affinity.
• Stability Under Industrial Conditions: Enzymes must function effectively across variable temperatures, pH, and in the presence of contaminants.
• Delivery Mechanisms: Developing methods to apply enzymes in solid waste matrices or aquatic environments without loss of activity.
• Cost-effectiveness: Scaling production of enzymes and integrating them economically into existing waste streams.

Ongoing interdisciplinary research combining microbiology, bioinformatics, chemical engineering, and materials science is crucial to address these barriers.

BioGlobe’s Commitment to Enzyme Remediation Innovation

As a global leader in enzyme remediation technology, BioGlobe is uniquely positioned to leverage these scientific advancements.

Our expertise spans:

• Oil Spill and Raw Sewage Remediation: Utilising enzyme formulations to accelerate the breakdown of hydrocarbons and organic matter.
• Nitrate and Inland Water Pollution Control: Applying enzymes to mitigate nutrient loading and protect aquatic ecosystems.
• Coastal Pollution Treatment: Developing solutions for marine environments impacted by complex contaminants.

The newly discovered plastic-degrading enzymes represent an exciting new frontier for BioGlobe to expand its remediation portfolio, offering clients innovative solutions to the plastic waste crisis.

Looking Ahead: Integration and Industrialisation

To fully harness the power of these enzymes, BioGlobe aims to:

• Collaborate with academic institutions and biotechnology firms to validate and optimise candidate enzymes.
• Develop enzyme formulations and immobilisation technologies that enhance stability and facilitate deployment.
• Pilot enzyme-based plastic degradation processes in collaboration with waste management companies.
• Advocate for regulatory frameworks that support biotechnological solutions in waste management.

By advancing enzyme remediation from theory to practice, BioGlobe is committed to shaping a cleaner, more sustainable future.

Conclusion: A Paradigm Shift in Plastic Waste Remediation

The identification of over 31,000 potential plastic-degrading enzymes from landfill environments worldwide marks a transformative moment in environmental biotechnology. This vast enzymatic resource, unveiled through cutting-edge metagenomics and machine learning, could revolutionise plastic recycling and pollution remediation.

For BioGlobe, this breakthrough aligns perfectly with our mission to pioneer sustainable enzyme-based solutions addressing the most challenging environmental contaminants — from oil spills and sewage to now plastic pollution.

By investing in research, innovation, and collaboration, BioGlobe continues to lead the charge toward a world where plastic waste is no longer a persistent problem but a resource for regeneration.

For more information on BioGlobe’s enzyme remediation technologies and partnership opportunities, visit bioglobe.co.uk.

Bioglobe offer Enzyme pollution remediation for major oil-spills, oceans and coastal waters, marinas and inland water, sewage and nitrate remediation and also agriculture and brown-field sites, globally.

For further information:
BioGlobe LTD (UK),
22 Highfield Street,
Leicester LE2 1AB
Phone: +44(0) 116 4736303| Email: info@bioglobe.co.uk