Fraunhofer Institute for Production Systems and Design Technology
From Frying Oil to Plastic Foil – with Tori!
Imagine a tiny bacterium turning old frying oil into plastic – and not just any plastic, but a type that doesn’t harm the environment. Sound like magic? It’s not! At Fraunhofer IPK, researchers are working with just such a bacterium. Its name: Tori.
Who is Tori?
Tori is a Cupriavidus necator bacterium. She’s so tiny that you can only see her under a microscope. But what she can do is huge: Tori eats waste and turns it into bioplastic. When it’s no longer needed, this plastic breaks down on its own – and doesn’t end up as trash in nature.
Why is this important?
Plastic is practical. But regular plastic is made from petroleum. That’s bad for the climate. And it doesn’t decompose – it stays in the environment for hundreds of years. Every year, enough plastic ends up in the oceans to be equivalent to dumping 27,000 full garbage trucks into the sea every day. All year long! Tori could help change that.
Here’s how it works
Tori loves waste. For example, she likes old frying oil from French fry stands or plant scraps. In the lab, she gets to »eat« these. Then something amazing happens: Tori stores the energy from the fat as bioplastic! The scientists can harvest this plastic and use it to make products.
The special thing is: When the plastic is no longer needed later on, other bacteria simply break it down again. A perfect cycle!
What does this have to do with you?
Maybe one day your toothbrush or lunchbox will be made from Tori’s plastic. Or the wrapping foil for your snack. Researchers at Fraunhofer IPK are working to ensure that bioplastic can be used everywhere in the future – without harming the environment.