[2026] PTE Academic Listening - Highlight correct summary

Enzymatic recycling is a revolutionary path for industrial waste management that utilizes genetically engineered bacteria to break down synthetic polymers. Although these microbes thrive in controlled environments, they are being introduced into marine food webs to solve the global plastic crisis. The process is much faster than natural degradation and helps prevent the buildup of microplastics.

The discovery of PETase and MHETase enzymes has finally provided a complete replacement for traditional plastic recycling methods. By using Ideonella sakaiensis, scientists can now eliminate all plastic pollution in the ocean without needing to reduce single-use plastic production. This biological solution is highly effective even in the coldest and most remote marine environments.

Microbiology has revealed that bacteria like Ideonella sakaiensis can break down PET plastic using specific enzymes, offering a potential biological tool for waste management. However, environmental constraints and ecological risks, such as microplastic accumulation, mean this technology cannot yet be used in the open ocean. Therefore, it should be treated as a secondary solution to reducing plastic production.

Researchers have found that certain bacteria can survive by eating plastic as their primary carbon source in high-temperature environments. While this discovery is important for the field of microbiology, the main challenge is the slow rate of degradation. Most scientists are currently focused on engineering these bacteria to ensure they do not harm native biodiversity.