http://english.cas.cn/newsroom/research-news/202605/t20260515_1159434.shtml
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0734975026001254
Prof. ZHANG Yuanming and Prof. LI Wenjun from the CAS Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography (XIEG), in collaboration with Arish University and Sun Yat-sen University, have provided a roadmap for the enzymatic recycling of polymers.
The roadmap is divided into three phases. From 2025 to 2030, the focus is on bench-scale reactors supported by predictive techno-economic analyses and life-cycle assessments (TEA/LCA) models. Between 2030 and 2035, the roadmap calls for integrated processes for mixed waste featuring real-time feedback and hybrid chemo-enzymatic systems. From 2035 to 2040, the goal is full-scale biorefineries that deploy AI-designed “smart” enzymes to handle municipal plastic waste.
The researchers pointed out that the core bottleneck restricting enzymatic depolymerization lies in inherent polymer chemical structures, rather than insufficient catalytic technological innovation.
They have sorted out distinct technical feasibility levels: Hydrolyzable polymers possess ester or amide backbones that allow true depolymerization, with engineered hydrolases can achieve over 90% monomer release under optimized conditions. By contrast, polyolefins, polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP), possess chemically inert C–C backbones for which no native enzymatic cleavage pathway is known.
Artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) have greatly expedited enzyme screening and development, boasting a classification accuracy of over 90% in discovering new hydrolases, yet they cannot ensure stable operational efficiency at solid-liquid interfaces in actual waste treatment scenarios. Likewise, bioinspired multi-enzyme cascades and customized cellulosomes exhibit great potential in substrate channeling, while their large-scale application prospects rely heavily on process-oriented engineering improvement instead of mere molecular structure optimization.
In terms of economic benefits, the study revealed that cost-optimized enzymatic polyethylene terephthalate (PET) recycling can reach cost competitiveness with virgin plastic production at a cost range of $1.1-1.8 per kilogram. As for polyolefins, direct enzymatic recycling is economically unviable, and combined pyrolysis-biological conversion hybrid technologies represent the only viable development route.