Plastics and the Sustainable Development Goals: From waste to wealth with microbial recycling and upcycling

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.

Can bioplastics always offer a truly sustainable alternative to fossil‐based plastics?

“…However, suitable sorting and additive removal strategies for bioplastics are still needed. Currently, only drop‐in polymers can be integrated into the existing recycling streams; the remaining bioplastics are treated as contaminants of conventional plastics (see the comment by Pereyra‐Camacho & Pardo, 2024 , in this issue). When bioplastics are mixed with fossil‐based plastics, various established sorting technologies (e.g.…”