Stock Photo - 27 February 2023, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Greifswald: Yannick Branson from the Institute of Biochemistry at the University of Greifswald shows scraps of foam from a seat cushion. In the fight against plastic waste, researchers are increasingly relying on enzymes that can virtually digest some plastics. Foam shreds were the starting material to be recycled. Foams are generally made of polyurethane (PU), which is difficult to recycle or reprocess because of its chemical properties as a thermoset. Branson is part of a team that recently found several enzymes that can break down polyurethane into its component parts. Photo: Stefan Sauer/dpa. - Greifswald/Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania/Germany