Scientists have found a way to produce vanillin from plastic

Scientists at the University of Edinburgh have discovered that E. coli could be used as a way to turn plastic into vanillin.

What happened

• Scientists from the University of Edinburgh reported in June 2021 that they had learned how to create vanilla flavor and vanillin from plastic. Thus, in their opinion, it is possible to solve the problem of plastic pollution.
• The bacterium E. coli (aka E. coli) can be used to turn plastic into vanilla flavor (preheating the bacterium). Namely: by adding a warm mixture of bacteria to decomposed plastic waste, 79% of the material can be turned into a fragrant composition.
• The scientists used a lab-modified E. coli to convert terephthalic acid (a PET-derived molecule) into a highly valuable vanillin compound through a series of chemical reactions. The team also demonstrated how the method works by turning a used plastic bottle into vanillin by adding E. coli to decomposed plastic waste. The researchers say the vanillin produced is edible, but further experimental testing is needed.
• After successful testing, plastic vanillin can be used to create food flavorings, cosmetic products, herbicides, defoamers, and cleaning products.

What does it mean

For the scientific community

This breakthrough lays the groundwork for research to create vanillin, while getting rid of plastic waste along the way.

The relevance of the study is as follows. First, plastic pollutes the environment and drinking water. Secondly, PET is used for single-use food and beverage packaging. Thirdly, research in this direction is in line with the trend towards conscious consumption (there is a chance to get a grant).

For Business

Given the indicated fashion for environmental friendliness and conscious consumption, retailers are switching to eco-friendly packaging. Principles of conscious consumption – rejection of disposable goods, reuse, reduction in consumption, use of waste and recycling. It has become fashionable to visit second-hand shops. Brands are ditching fur and leather. There are also discussions about which material is more environmentally friendly – artificial or natural – and which one is more ethical.

But at the same time, be careful in your marketing and do not go into greenwashing.

For the consumer

Is plastic itself harmful? The answer to this question is not so unambiguous, and there are also disputes on this topic. For example, Anthropogenesis.ru talked about this with chemist Sakina Zeynalova from Nizhny Novgorod, a specialist in biodegradable polymers:

So, let’s say, Zeynalova dispelled one of the key myths about plastic – that most of the environmental problems in the world are due to it. The carbon footprint of a paper bag is about three times that of a plastic bag, she said. In addition, the paper industry emits 70% more harmful emissions into the atmosphere and 50 times more harmful emissions into water bodies.