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Title Plastics and the Sustainable Development Goals: From waste to wealth with microbial recycling and upcycling
ID_Doc 7790
Authors Pereyra-Camacho, MA; Pardo, I
Title Plastics and the Sustainable Development Goals: From waste to wealth with microbial recycling and upcycling
Year 2024
Published Microbial Biotechnology, 17, 4
DOI 10.1111/1751-7915.14459
Abstract Plastics pollution has become one of the greatest concerns of the 21st century. To date, around 10 billion tons of plastics have been produced almost exclusively from non-renewable sources, and of these, <10% have been recycled. The majority of discarded plastic waste (>70%) is accumulating in landfills or the environment, causing severe impacts to natural ecosystems and human health. Considering how plastics are present in every aspect of our daily lives, it is evident that a transition towards a Circular Economy of plastics is essential to achieve several of the Sustainable Development Goals. In this editorial, we highlight how microbial biotechnology can contribute to this shift, with a special focus on the biological recycling of conventional plastics and the upcycling of plastic-waste feedstocks into new value-added products. Although important hurdles will need to be overcome in this endeavour, recent success stories highlight how interdisciplinary approaches can bring us closer to a bio-based economy for the sustainable management of plastics.
Author Keywords
Index Keywords Index Keywords
Document Type Other
Open Access Open Access
Source Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED)
EID WOS:001198302000001
WoS Category Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology; Microbiology
Research Area Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology; Microbiology
PDF https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdfdirect/10.1111/1751-7915.14459
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