Computational exploration of bio-remediation solution for mixed plastic waste

The plastic materials are recalcitrant in the open environment, surviving longer without complete remediation. The current disposal methods of used plastic material are not efficient; consequently, plastic wastes are infiltrating the natural resources of the biosphere. A sustaining solution for plastic waste is either recycling or making it part of the earth’s biogeochemical cycle. We have collected, manually mined, and analyzed the previous reports on plastic biodegradation. Our results demonstrate that the biodegradation pattern of plastics follows the chemical classification of plastic types. Based on clustering analysis, the distant plastic types are grouped into two broad categories of plastic types, C-C (non-hydrolyzable) and C-X (hydrolyzable). The genus enrichment analysis suggests that Pseudomonas and Bacillus from bacteria and Aspergillus and Penicillium from fungal are potential genera for bioremediation of mixed plastic waste. Overall results have pointed towards a possible solution of mixed plastic waste either in a circular economy or open remediation. The meta-analysis of the reports revealed a historical inclination of biodegradation studies towards C-X type of plastic; however, the C-C class is dominated in overall plastic production. An interactive web portal of reports is hosted at plasticbiodegradation.com for easy access by other researchers for future studies