Spontaneous efficient degradation of polyesters in soil by an enzyme@MOF platform

Waste plastics represent a serious and growing environmental problem. Whereas biodegradable polyesters such as polycaprolactone (PCL) and polylactic acid (PLA) offer a potential solution, their spontaneous degradation takes up to 3 years in the field. Industrial composting, an alternative approach, is labor and energy intensive as well as being prone to cross-contamination by other plastics. In recent years, exploitation of bespoke enzyme systems has been shown to accelerate composting but these innovative approaches are thus far unsuitable for field deployment. We address this challenge by developing an enzyme@MOF platform to fabricate composite plastics through multiple industry-compatible processing techniques, including screw extrusion, 3D printing, and solution casting. The top performing enzyme@MOF, lipase@MIL-88A, degrades PCL and is fast (