The project has two different parts. The first part will use AI to make enzymes that break down textile and plastic waste. The second part will look for ways to make the process of making the enzymes more efficient.
Protein Evolution says that its method is the first in the US to use enzymes to turn polyester textile waste into new polyethylene terephthalate (PET). It says that the PET that is made is the same as fresh PET and can be used for both textiles and packaging.
The company’s primary goals are to increase its business capacity and work with a broader range of plastic trash.
It is being led by the Joint BioEnergy Institute, Advanced Biofuels, and the Bioproducts Process Development Unit, with help from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
The plan to turn textile and plastic trash into a new resource was first announced in 2022. In this new development, the company is working with ABF to make the technology bigger.
This project is one of five decarbonization plans that ABF recently chose. It will work on the new AI plan to deal with trash with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
