Unlocking a Sustainable Future for Plastics: A Chemical‐Enzymatic Pathway for Efficient Conversion of Mixed Waste to MHET and Energy‐Saving PET Recycling

Three BHETases, identified from the natural environment through the KnowCovery strategy, are integrated into a chemical-enzymatic pathway to produce homogeneous mono-2-hydroxyethyl terephthalate (MHET) without downstream purification. Additionally, by combining quantum theoretical computations and experimental validations, we establish a MHET-initiated PET repolymerization pathway, offering a significantly more efficient and energy-saving route for PET recycling.

Abstract

The heterogeneous monomers obtained from plastic waste degradation are unfavorable for PET recondensation and high-value derivative synthesis. Herein, we developed an efficient chemical-enzymatic approach to convert mixed plastic wastes into homogeneous mono-2-hydroxyethyl terephthalate (MHET) without downstream purification, benefiting from three discovered BHETases (KbEst, KbHyd, and BrevEst) in nature. Towards the mixed plastic waste, integrating the chemical K₂CO₃-driven glycolysis process with the BHETase depolymerization technique resulted in an MHET yield of up to 98.26 % in 40 h. Remarkably, BrevEst accomplished the highest BHET hydrolysis (~87 % efficiency in 12 h) for yielding analytical-grade MHET compared to seven state-of-the-art PET hydrolases (18 %–40 %). In an investigation combining quantum theoretical computations and experimental validations, we established a MHET-initiated PET repolymerization pathway. This shortcut approach with MHET promises to strengthen the valorization of mixed plastics, offering a substantially more efficient and energy-saving route for PET recycling.

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