‘World First’ Scottish Project Aims to Turn Waste Plastic into Drugs
Although other companies have been known to use enzymes to breakdown PET, the results are often lower quality plastic which still generate landfill in the long term.
SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): Scottish researchers are exploring a ‘world first’ process that could see industrial plastic waste used to manufacture pharmaceuticals for neurological conditions.
The innovative project takes a type of plastic commonly used in the production of food and drink packaging and uses bacteria and enzymes to break it down so it can be used for medicines.
The research, by scientists from Grangemouth-based Impact Solutions and biotechnology researchers from Edinburgh University, is the first time scientists have explored the use of PET plastic as a starting point for pharmaceutical manufacture.
The project uses genetically modified bacteria and enzymes to break down waste polyethylene terephthalate (PET), supplied by Livingston-based API Foilmakers. The business, which has been making printed products since 1781, produces rolls of plastic-backed foil stretching to approximately 18 kilometres each month, and creates up to 100 tonnes of PET waste.
As well as waste linked to production, the printing method also means that one small error can render an entire roll unusable.
However, once the waste PET is broken down, the core chemical components can be converted into valuable pharmaceuticals for treating a range of life-limiting conditions, such as brain disorders.
Although other companies have been known to use enzymes to breakdown PET, the results are often lower quality plastic which still generate landfill in the long term.
The new process is being described as “a turning point for the pharmaceutical sector”, with potential to be used to find fresh uses for waste PET from other sectors.
While with most pharmaceuticals are currently petrochemical based, and medicines mostly manufactured overseas, the project is said to represent an opportunity to develop more a more sustainable, Scottish-based alternative.
The new project is being supported by the Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Centre (IBioIC), established in 2014 to stimulate growth of the Industrial Biotechnology (IB) in Scotland.
Courtesy: www.heraldscotland.com