Research co-led by researcher Pedro Paiva from the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Porto (FCUP) has developed a new type of enzyme capable of degrading polyurethane, the material present in foams used in sports footwear and other products.
The enzyme was designed to "devour" polyurethane material, offering a biotechnological solution for recycling waste that is traditionally difficult to process.
The work represents an advance in the fight against plastic pollution, particularly in foam materials that take hundreds of years to degrade naturally in the environment.
This research positions Portugal at the forefront of environmental science, opening doors to future applications that can make consumer products such as sneakers more sustainable and environmentally friendly.
