Bacteria can be used to turn plastic waste into painkillers, researchers have found, opening up the possibility of a more sustainable process for producing the drugs.

Chemists have discovered E coli can be used to create paracetamol, also known as acetaminophen, from a material produced in the laboratory from plastic bottles.

“Our material eliminates polystyrene foam materials that are filling landfills and persisting as litter in the environment,” said Richard Venditti, the Elis-Signe Olsson Professor of Pulp and Paper Science and Engineering.

Plastic foam, often known by the brand name Styrofoam, is used in many everyday products — from disposable food and beverage containers like cups and plates to shipping materials such as packing peanuts and protective packaging.

Hybrid Software has announced significant enhancements to its Packz, CloudFlow, and iC3D product lines, which will be unveiled at Labelexpo Europe 2025 in Barcelona. The updates focus on accelerating pre-press workflows, automating complex label tasks, and improving design-to-print accuracy for label and packaging production.

Key highlights include:

• SABIC Plastic Energy Advanced Recycling (SPEAR), the joint venture recycling plant by Plastic Energy and SABIC in Geleen, the Netherlands, has produced its first pyrolysis oil, known as TACOIL™.
• TACOIL™ is made from hard-to-recycle post-consumer plastic waste that would otherwise be lost to landfill or incineration.
• This milestone marks another step on the facility’s journey to full commercial production expected to begin later this year

TACOIL™ is made from hard-to-recycle post-consumer plastic waste that would otherwise be incinerated or sent to landfill.