“You are always up against the fact that oil is cheap, so virgin PET is cheap,” said McGeehan. “It is so easy for manufacturers to generate more of that stuff, rather than even try to recycle. But I believe there is a public driver here: perception is changing so much that companies are starting to look at how they can properly recycle these.”

And the discovery has been welcomed by other scientists.

“Oil-derived plastics and polymers are resistant to degradation and their accumulation in the environment is an appalling problem,” said Professor Douglas Kell, a bioanalytical scientist at the University of Manchester. “Evolving enzymes to degrade such plastics is a high priority.”

From the government’s ban on microbeads to the 5p levy charge on plastic bags, changes are being made and proving to be successful in the bid to reduce plastic pollution.

One way you can start to reduce your own single-use plastic is by investing in a reusable water bottle or coffee cup. Peruse our gallery of multiple options here.

Images: Pexels

How a plastic-eating enzyme could help reduce our recycling waste