A recent article, published by Northeastern University, profiles a new chemical recycling experiment with relevance to carpet. Georgia State University professor Eric Gilbert is working to find a novel way of converting waste plastic into commercial uses:
“Yeast microbes, Gilbert contends, are equipped to do the job. In his lab, Gilbert and his team break plastic into bite-sized molecules that are small enough for yeast microbes to eat. As the microbes consume those plastic molecules and grow, they produce fatty acids that can be sold for use in all sorts of commercial products, including paint, solvent, and industrial lubricants. The fermentation process is similar to the one that breweries use, except that instead of making beer, it makes fatty acids.”
CARE Executive Director Bob Peoples has been consulting with Dr. Gilbert for a number of years and is quoted in the article, noting that CARE provides Gilbert’s lab with post-consumer carpet discards for their experiments.
