Engineering biology to recycle plastic: valorizing polyester and polyethylene waste

Team: Jennifer Cochran, Matteo Cargnello, Craig Criddle
Large scale (Scaling)

This project leveraged biology for upcycling clothing into renewable raw materials. Over 100 million tons of textile waste is generated each year, with the majority ending up in landfills due to limited options and challenges for recycling mixed materials. Researchers engineered enzyme biocatalysts that can separate the components of textiles into synthetic and natural fibers using an environmentally friendly process. 

With support from the Sustainability Accelerator, the team acquired liquid handling equipment and robotics that enabled automated screening to accelerate development of PET-degrading enzymes for polyester-cotton fabrics. Benchtop bioreactor equipment enabled the conduct of kilogram-scale recycling trials using these enzymes. The team’s postdocs have spun out a venture-funded company called Huminly that optioned project-related Stanford intellectual property to continue to develop this technology.