nature an experiment i don't know yet why is like so far like it sounds so simple they had no idea

but now the data's i find this not only refreshing but but at some level astounding nature

welcome back to the Nature.

Welcome back to the nature podcast.

This week, super cool molecules.

And an efficient plastic degrading enzyme.

I'm Chameney Bundell.

And I'm Nick Howl.

As you probably know by now, we've been making some changes recently,

including recording from a variety of pillow fort studios in our living rooms and keeping the main nature podcast a coronavirus-free zone.

I will just do a little plug though for our Friday Corona Pod,

where we've jammed in all the coronavirus science in one handy weekly show.

Do check it out.

In the meantime, we've got plenty of fascinating science

nuggets for you here, and starting us off a better way to deal with plastic waste. That's right.

I don't think many people would argue with the importance of recycling plastic. But the way

it's currently done means that a lot of plastic actually ends up in landfill anyway.

But this week in nature, French company Carbius, working with the Toulouse Biotechnology Institute,

report a powerful new way to avoid the landfill, using an enzyme to very effectively break down plastic.

So, reporter Ali Jennings has been talking to Carbios' chief scientific officer, Alan,

Ali started by asking Alan about the scale of the problem they set out to tackle.

The problem is really plastic waste, and unfortunately, 9 million tons of plastics end up in

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