Poly(acrylic acid)-based superabsorbent polymer (SAP) in a feed stream is converted into poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) in an extensional flow device. The total energy used to degrade the SAP into PAA is less than about 50 MJ/kg SAP.

The present invention relates to novel esterase, more particularly to esterase variants having improved thermostability compared to the esterase of SEQ ID N.sup.o 1 and the uses thereof for degrading polyester containing material, such as plastic products. The esterases of the invention are particularly suited to degrade polyethylene terephthalate, and material containing polyethylene terephthalate.

The invention relates to a plastic compound comprising at least one polyolefin and a biological entity that degrades said polyolefin. The invention further relates to a process for preparing a plastic article wherein at least one polyolefin and one biological entity that degrades said polyolefin are mixed at a temperature at which the polyolefin is in a partially or totally molten state.

Provided is a method for degrading epoxy resins by enzymatic route, in particular by adding an epoxy resin in a solvent followed by treatment with a glutathione S-transferase. A method for recycling a composite material comprising epoxy resin as well as the use of glutathione 5-transferase and eventually para-hydroxybenzoate hydroxylase for degrading epoxy resins are also provided.

Disclosed herein are bio-based polymers, methods to prepare the same, bio-based polymer products, methods to degrade the same, and methods to recycle the same.

The present invention relates to a new isolated polypeptide comprising an amino acid sequence having at least 94%, 95%, 99% or 100% identity to the full length amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 1, and having a polyester degrading activity, and uses thereof.

Provided are nucleic acids and vectors that collectively encode various gene products related to converting styrene to polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB). In some embodiments, the nucleic acids and vectors collectively encode a styrene monooxygenase polypeptide, a flavin reductase polypeptide, a styrene-oxide isomerase polypeptide, and a phenylacetaldehyde dehydrogenase polypeptide, an acetyl-CoA C-acetyltransferase polypeptide, a 3-ketoacyl-ACP reductase polypeptide, a class I poly(R)-hydroxyalkanoic acid synthase polypeptide, and optionally an influx porin polypeptide. Also provided are systems and methods for producing PHB from styrene, methods and systems for remediating polystyrene waste. In some embodiments, the systems are in vivo systems.

The present invention relates to a process for extraction of bioplastic from bioplastic-producing microbial cells, comprising the steps of: A. providing bioplastic producing microbial cells comprising bioplastic; B. providing bacterial cells selected from the species Bacillus pumilus; C. extracting the bioplastic by admixing the bioplastic-producing microbial cells of step A and the bacterial cells of step B and allowing reaction. The present invention further relates to the process of producing monomers from said bioplastics by depolymerization.

Poly(acrylic acid)-based superabsorbent polymer (SAP) in a feed stream is converted into poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) in an extensional flow device. The total energy used to degrade the SAP into PAA is less than about 50 MJ/kg SAP.

The invention relates to a new Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans strain as well as a process for bacterially devulcanizing sulphur-vulcanized rubber particles and devulcanized rubber particles obtainable by said process.