A Low-Carbon Platform for Upgrading Waste Polyesters into Methane Fuels via Piezo-Driven Biocatalysis

Biodegradable polyesters offer eco-friendly alternatives to traditional fossil-based plastics, but their natural biodegradation requires long periods and produce CO 2 . Biosynthesis provides a sustainable approach to utilizing waste polyesters for low-carbon development, yet the bioconversion capability of plastics remains extremely low. Herein, we demonstrate the piezo-driven biosynthesis of CH 4 fuel from polyester waste hydrolysates and CO 2 by harvesting hydraulic mechanical energy from flowing water to promote microbial metabolism and energy cycling. Polarized BaTiO 3 (BTO) generates piezo-holes to oxidize polylactic acid (PLA) plastic hydrolysates into small organic molecules, while the piezo-electrons are accepted by Methanosarcina barkeri as bioavailable reducing equivalents for CO 2 reduction and intermediates oxidation into CH 4 . This results in 100% utilization of PLA waste hydrolysates for CH 4 production with an ultrahigh selectivity of >98% and an impressive reaction turnover frequency (TOF) of 1.24 × 10 5 s −1 ·cell −1 . Moreover, the biotic–abiotic platform successfully utilizes CO 2 to convert real-world postconsumer plastic products (straws, cups, knives, and forks) and various polyester-based plastics, such as polyglycolic acid (PGA) and polycaprolactone (PCL) into CH 4 fuels. Critically, this piezo-driven strategy can be readily extended to other microbial cell factories, significantly enhancing the efficiency of the production of valuable chemicals such as acetate and polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB). This work establishes a mechanical energy-driven, carbon-negative platform for sustainable waste upgrading, paving a low-carbon and resource-circular avenue for plastic waste management and renewable energy production.