Earth Day is celebrated on April 22 and this year’s theme is “Planet against plastics.” According to the UN, around 7 billion tons of plastic have been produced in the last 60 years. But only about 10 percent has been recycled. Initiatives to address the waste crisis, including new technologies to improve recycling rates, are flourishing around the world. French startup Carbios has developed an alternative method to mechanical recycling, using plastic-chewing enzymes to break down polyethylene, one of the most common single-use plastics in the world. The Down to Earth team visited their demonstration plant in Clermont-Ferrand.
French startup uses plastic-chewing enzymes in ‘closed-loop’ recycling
