Plastic-Eating Bacteria Could Revolutionize Battle Against Pollution

Japanese scientists have discovered a bacteria that could degrade the plastic used used to make water bottles, long considered a non-biodegradable form of waste.

Empty plastic bottles are seen piled up by Lebanese activists in order to be recycled, on August 28, 2015, on Beirut's Martyrs Square. JOSEPH EID/AFP/Getty Images

Japanese scientists have discovered a bacteria that could break down the plastic used used to make water bottles, long considered a non-biodegradable form of waste. 

The new bacteria uses two enzymes to break down Polyethylene terephthalate (PET)—used in making plastic water bottles, clothing, and other products—into CO2 and water. 

The discovery, first published in the journal Science, could herald a revolutionary breakthrough in recycling. 

We will be able to realize a recycling method that can be practiced with minimal energy and is also eco-friendly.

— Kohei Oda, biology professor