Epoch Biodesign
Engineering enzymes to recycle nylon into high-quality new materials
Today, only a small number of plastics can be recycled – and usually only once. Epoch Biodesign are setting a new, sustainable standard.
This London-based biotech company are rethinking waste from the ground up with the goal of recycling plastics indefinitely, without loss in quality or value. By harnessing biological processes, Epoch are creating a circular system in which materials can be used again and again.
Plastics are the building blocks of modern life, found in our clothes, cars, and homes – but today’s recycling infrastructure wasn’t designed to deal with them properly. Manufacturers might be able to create a sweater from recycled plastic bottles, but at the end of its life, it often becomes waste once again.
Epoch are changing that. As founder Jacob Nathan puts it, “we’re turning that sweater right back into a sweater.”
Jacob started Epoch when he was 18 years old, building on a high school science project that set out to find bacteria capable of breaking down plastic. While the company has since grown far beyond those early experiments, the core idea remains the same: use biology to solve a problem that traditional recycling cannot.
Epoch’s solution uses engineered enzymes to break down plastics – such as nylon and blended materials from the apparel and automotive industries – into their original building blocks. In Jacob’s words, they "unbake the cake”, reversing the manufacturing process so that the raw materials can be reused to make new products.
Their approach relies on biocatalysis. Instead of harsh chemicals or high temperatures, enzymes are used to speed up the chemical reaction. This allows plastics to be broken down at a molecular level and uses far less energy than conventional recycling methods.
Because plastics haven’t existed in the environment for very long, there are no enzymes in nature that can effectively break down plastics at scale. Epoch use artificial intelligence to discover plastic-eating variants, testing and refining thousands of enzyme designs to find those that perform best.
Having already outgrown several lab spaces, Epoch now operate a pilot facility in King's Cross, London. They are also constructing a demonstration facility in West London. There, the team aim to roll out their technology on an industrial scale, processing hundreds of tonnes of waste each year.
Epoch’s biotechnology could enable a future where materials no longer move through our lives in straight lines, but in circles – gaining second, third, and fourth lives.
To learn more about Epoch Biodesign, visit their website.
Thank you to the following contributors:
Jacob Nathan, founder and CEO
Luciano Caruso, Chief Commercial Officer
Rachel Heath, Head of Biocatalysis
Martin Engqvist, Head of Computational Biology
