Interestingly, this approach may help tackle another significant issue: plastic waste. A recent study published in Nature Chemistry shows the potential for using bacteria to produce paracetamol from a common plastic called polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Generally, E. coli bacteria coexist peacefully in our digestive systems. In their experiments, researchers used plastic bottles, but other types of PET plastics could also be utilized. This significantly reduces energy consumption, leading to “virtually no carbon emissions” and making the production of paracetamol more sustainable.