Plastic pollution is one of today’s most pressing environmental problems. Globally, around one million plastic bottles are purchased every minute, and up to five trillion plastic bags are used each year, with approximately half of all plastic produced designed for single-use purposes. As a result of this widespread consumption and inadequate waste management, it is estimated that nearly 200 million tonnes of plastic are currently present in the world’s oceans. Microplastics have now been found even in the most remote parts of the world, posing potential risks to ecosystems and human health. Despite efforts to reduce plastic waste and improve recycling, the wide variety of plastic materials and their complex combinations make effective management challenging. Even if plastic production were to stop today, the consequences of past improper disposal will continue to affect the environment for many generations.

The Microplastics and engineered microbial consortia (EmiCoPlast) project examines biological processes involved in plastic biodegradation with a focus on microbial interactions relevant for plastic waste. Much of the existing research has focused on individual microorganisms or isolated enzymes under highly controlled conditions, which only partially reflect the diversity and complexity of plastic materials encountered outside simplified experimental systems.

Within the EmiCoPlast project, researchers study complex and defined enriched microbial consortia on both pure plastic polymers and mock plastic waste that represents mixed materials. The aim is to understand how microbial communities contribute to degradation processes. The results will support the exploitation of microbial metabolic synergies to develop efficient and cost-effective strategies for plastic waste biodegradation.

The EmiCoPlast project runs from January 2025 until December 2027 and is coordinated by the Biotechnical Faculty of the University of Ljubljana. The research team in InnoRenew CoE, UP IAM is led by Dr. Anna Sandak and includes Dr. Anja Černoša and Ana Gubenšek. Besides the project coordinator, and University of Primorska, other project partners are EcoPast research group at the University of Santiago de Compostela and the Institute of Water Research at the University of Granada. Funding is provided by the Slovenian Research and Innovation Agency (ARIS).

By addressing plastic biodegradation at the level of microbial communities rather than individual species, the EmiCoPlast project bridges an important knowledge gap between laboratory-based studies and real-world environmental conditions. Understanding how microorganisms interact, cooperate, or compete when exposed to complex plastic waste streams is essential for designing biologically based solutions that are both scalable and environmentally sustainable. In the long term, insights gained from this project may contribute to the development of innovative biotechnological approaches that complement existing waste management strategies and support efforts to mitigate the environmental persistence of plastic pollution.

Authors: Lara Prah, Lea Primožič and Dr. Anna Sandak