In a study published in Green Chemistry last week, scientists at the University of Edinburgh detailed how they used common bacteria to transform polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic into a useful chemical for the first time, and that chemical is the flavor compound vanillin.

The research comes as more and more attention has been drawn to the fact that the current system for recycling plastic isn't doing what it claims. In the U.S., for example, only 8.7 percent of the total plastics produced is actually recycled. Currently, plastics lose around 95 percent of their value after they are used only once, The Guardian pointed out. Finding new uses for the material could therefore make recycling more viable and move us towards an ideal circular economy in which no materials are wasted.