Can Waste CO2 be Upcycled Using Bacteria?

Can Waste CO2 be Upcycled Using Bacteria?

Upcycling & Recycling

Before we discuss the importance of recycling and upcycling, we must understand the importance of being environmentally aware, especially in regards to CO2. The importance of being eco-friendly and more conservation-minded becomes more pertinent as we begin to realize the footprint of humankind. As a united effort, it is important to contribute to factors that reduce this exact footprint.

It is more likely that you have heard of recycling versus its counterpart of upcycling. Recycling is when waste is destroyed to create something that is entirely new from its original components. This process can be done by disposing of recycle-friendly materials. Conversely, upcycling is when waste is made into new things from its original components. This means that there is no breaking down of the materials. The importance of upcycling is that it helps with the conservation of the environment and resources because what is created is not entirely new. There is also less costly to upcycling versus recycling.

CO2 Upcycling

Recently there have been many advancements in the importance of being more environmentally friendly. One of these advancements is the study of using bacteria for upcycling.  Bacteria can be used to upcycle things by it digesting things that would typically be in the atmosphere. Specifically, there is a form of E. coli that is able to eat CO2 and then able to convert it into other useful chemicals such as isopropanol or acetone. The importance of this is that it does not use fossil fuels which is a non-renewable resource. The upcycling of bacteria also removes greenhouse gases from the atmosphere which contributes to decreasing the greenhouse effects.

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