In:
Science, American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), Vol. 351, No. 6278 ( 2016-03-11), p. 1154-1155
Abstract:
An estimated 311 million tons of plastics are produced annually worldwide; 90% of these are derived from petrol. A considerable portion of these plastics is used for packaging (such as drinking bottles), but only ~14% is collected for recycling ( 1 ). Most plastics degrade extremely slowly, thus constituting a major environmental hazard ( 2 ), especially in the oceans, where microplastics are a matter of major concern ( 3 ). One potential solution for this problem is the synthesis of degradable plastics from renewable resources ( 4 ). This approach provides hope for the future but does not help to get rid of the plastics already in the environment. On page 1196 of this issue, Yoshida et al. ( 5 ) address this problem by reporting an organism that can fully degrade a widely used plastic.
Type of Medium:
Online Resource
ISSN:
0036-8075
,
1095-9203
DOI:
10.1126/science.aaf2853
Language:
English
Publisher:
American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
Publication Date:
2016
detail.hit.zdb_id:
128410-1
detail.hit.zdb_id:
2066996-3
detail.hit.zdb_id:
2060783-0
SSG:
11
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