According to the study, the amount of plastics entering the sea each year could peak at 23 million tonnes in 2045. The concentration of microplastics would also increase significantly. The research team's calculations are based on an OECD study from 2022, but provide significantly higher values because the team used measurements and estimates of the amount of plastic in the oceans, while the OECD derived its values from population density and waste generation.
Biological PET recycling: start-up founded
PET (polyethylene terephthalate) is a plastic based on fossil raw materials such as crude oil or natural gas. Although pure PET is fully recyclable, it often ends up in the environment or is incinerated. Biochemists Dr Christian Sonnendecker and Dr Ronny Frank are focusing instead on a biological recycling process using PHL7.