Activation - ATP energy is expended in order to attach CoA to the carboxylic acid group of benzoate, producing a highly reactive mixed anhydride. Some Remaining Problems 1. Although microorganisms help in bioremediation, they are not especially in a hurry. Relevant organisms are being studied to induce them to metabolize waste faster. Population - The human population is increasing.
People are in a hurry.
The plastics industry produces about 70 billion pounds of plastic per year, about half of which ends up in landfills. In other words, the rate of waste production by third world nations is increasing. Europe has been crowded since the seventeenth century. Since there is no room for more landfills, European nations, especially Germany and Switzerland, have agressive recycling programs to lessen the load of waste. E. Some Imaginative Solutions 1.