From Waste to Food: Toward the Creation of a Sustainable Food Generator

Food insecurity is a pressing global concern; concurrently, plastic pollution has emerged as a growing crisis on a worldwide scale. To address both of these issues, we propose a sustainable chemical and biological technology that converts end-of-life plastics into edible, microbial-origin food. We delve into the utilization of microbes, enriched from native microbiomes and engineered through rational metabolic design, to achieve plastic degradation. We also discussed the utilization of microbial biomass as a source of food, and further explore the customization of microbes to enhance the safety, nutritional value, and overall health benefits of the food. Furthermore, we provide insights into the future directions and implications of food production from waste streams.