The United States generates a colossal seven million tons of sewage sludge annually, enough to fill 2,500 Olympic-sized swimming pools. A substantial amount is disposed of in landfills. Researchers have uncovered an efficient way to use leftover sludge to make biodegradable plastics.
Researchers discovered the bacterium Zobellella denitrificans ZD1, found in tropical, coastal trees and shrubs, can consume sludge and wastewater to produce polyhydroxybutyrate, a type of biopolymer that can replace petroleum-based plastics.
“Zobellella denitrificans ZD1’s natural preference for salinity is fantastic because we can, if needed, tweak the chemical composition of the waste by just adding common salts,” said Dr. Kung-Hui (Bella) Chu. “So, we are offering a low-cost, sustainable method to make bioplastics and another way to repurpose biowastes that are costly to dispose of.”