Trending with Tracie: Oh That’s Super!

New ways to a more sustainable future are coming from every angle! PET (polyethylene terephthalate) is the most common thermoplastic used in single-use beverage bottles, but it takes the plastic hundreds of years to break down in the environment. There’s good news ahead, as researchers from the University of Portsmouth and National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) found a super enzyme that’s derived from bacteria which can naturally and fully digest PET plastic bottles.

Trending with Tracie: Breaking It Down

What if I told you that PET plastic could one day be broken down to food-grade material in just a few hours? Drum roll please… well it potentially can exist! PET plastic, which is the most commonly used polyester plastic on Earth, has long been utilized because of its temperature endurance, ability to keep products fresh, and its affordability.