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<p>In recent years, plastic and microplastic (MP) waste in the environment has become a significant concern worldwide due to their pervasiveness and accumulation in municipal wastes, making them ubiquitous in both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Among many, structurally inert PE and PET dominate global plastic waste streams and remain particularly difficult to manage. Where conventional plastic management methods are energy-intensive, biodegradation offers the most sustainable and effective eco-friendly solution to mitigate their impact. Enzyme-based advanced engineering techniques combined with bioaugmentation strategies have now become a promising, albeit still-developing, biotechnological approach for reducing plastic pollution. This commentary highlights the need for integrative strategies that combine enzyme engineering, microbial consortia, and realistic environmental frameworks to translate biological promise into scalable solutions. It also critically describes the intensity of plastic production over the past few decades, MP burden on the environment and its fate, key limitations, and creative solutions to reduce their pollution sustainably.</p>

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Plastics and Microplastics in Transition: from Consumer Asset to Ecological Burden - Can Microbes Turn the Tide?

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年4月9日

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  • Subhankar Chatterjee,
  • Moumita Mondal

摘要

In recent years, plastic and microplastic (MP) waste in the environment has become a significant concern worldwide due to their pervasiveness and accumulation in municipal wastes, making them ubiquitous in both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Among many, structurally inert PE and PET dominate global plastic waste streams and remain particularly difficult to manage. Where conventional plastic management methods are energy-intensive, biodegradation offers the most sustainable and effective eco-friendly solution to mitigate their impact. Enzyme-based advanced engineering techniques combined with bioaugmentation strategies have now become a promising, albeit still-developing, biotechnological approach for reducing plastic pollution. This commentary highlights the need for integrative strategies that combine enzyme engineering, microbial consortia, and realistic environmental frameworks to translate biological promise into scalable solutions. It also critically describes the intensity of plastic production over the past few decades, MP burden on the environment and its fate, key limitations, and creative solutions to reduce their pollution sustainably.