In the face of the growing global crisis due to plastic pollution, a team from Monash University in Melbourne (Australia) has managed to transform food waste into ultra-thin and compostable bioplastics, paving a promising path towards a more efficient and less polluting circular economy.
What are PHAs and why do they matter?
Biopolymers produced by bacteria that mimic the properties of plastic but are biodegradable.
Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) are bioplastics generated by bacteria from renewable sugars, such as glucose and fructose extracted from food waste. According to the journal Microbial Cell Factories, these materials are:
- Non-toxic and home compostable
- Biodegradable in marine environments
- Adaptable to replace single-use plastics
The team led by Edward Attenborough and Dr. Leonie van ‘t Hag used two soil bacteria:
Related on the SLP
- C. necator H16: produced up to 60% PHB with fructose
- P. putida KT2440: generated more flexible mcl-PHA, although in smaller proportions
Both species were fed with mixtures of sugars, salts, and nutrients, accumulating PHA inside them, which was then extracted and converted into 20-micron thick films.
