BACKGROUND: Lipases are an interesting class of enzymes that can be used as biocatalysts for poly(ɛ-caprolactone) degradation. This work reports on the biochemical characterization of a lipase produced through solid-state fermentation by Aspergillus melleus and its application to degrade poly(ɛ-caprolactone).RESULTS: Lipase demonstrated the best activity and remained stable even after 24 h at an optimal pH of 7.5 and 40 °C. The K m and V max values for p-nitrophenyl palmitate hydrolysis derived from Lineweaver-Burk plot were 0.286 mmol L −1 and 142.86 ∼mol mL −1 min −1 , respectively. Thermal inactivation studies revealed a half-life of 1732.5 min (28.88 h) at 40 °C, and dramatically reduced at elevated temperatures. The activation energy for substrate hydrolysis was 28.81 kJ mol −1 , whereas the entropy, enthalpy (ΔH°) and free energy (ΔG°) of thermal inactivation of lipase were determined to be 168.73 J mol −1 K −1 , 160.60 and 107.79 kJ mol −1 , respectively, at 40 °C. Increase in temperature showed a decline in ΔG°, but ΔH* remained constant. Incubation with organic solvents did not influence the enzyme stability; however, urea and guanidine hydrochloride reduced the lipase activity. Under optimal operating conditions, the enzyme presented excellent biocatalytic ability to poly(ɛ-caprolactone) film degradation, leading to 53% weight loss. Characterization techniques, such as Fourier transform infrared, differential scanning calorimetry and scanning electron microscopy, corroborated the effective biodegradation of poly(ɛ-caprolactone).CONCLUSION: In conclusion, broad working pH, marked stability in the presence of organic solvents, and poly(ɛ-caprolactone) degradation constitutes a lipase from A. melleus as a promising candidate for large-scale bioremediation of solid waste.