Our world faces major environmental threats including climate change. Enzymes as green catalysts can alleviate these problems by creating more environmentally friendly consumer goods, e.g. detergents, textiles and cosmetics. In 2024, global liquid laundry detergent volume reached approximately 20 million metric tons. The textile fiber production totaled around 120 million metric tons, with these fibers being processed into yarns and fabrics using ‘spinning additives’, up to 5%. The global hyaluronic acid market exceeded 2,156 metric tons, with about 45–50% used in Beauty & Personal Care. These products and their associated processes are highly resource-intensive, but enzyme innovations can offer substantial environmental benefits without compromising product performance. If industries could significantly reduce their environmental impact by replacing traditional chemical processes with enzymatic solutions, environmentally conscious consumers would be able to choose products made with fewer chemicals, less waste, and greater care for the environment, truly driving sustainable production and consumption. However, despite the enormous potential of enzyme technology, enzymes have been underutilized in the detergent, textile, and cosmetic sectors, with challenges in efficiency, scalability, and affordability hindering their adoption in real-world consumer product manufacturing. One of the biggest challenges is finding and producing the right enzyme for each task, process, and product. This is why, established in 2021, the FuturEnzyme project—comprising 8 universities/research institutions, 3 small and medium enterprises, 2 clusters, and 3 industries from 7 countries—is dedicated to developing enzyme-based innovations for the real-world production of consumer goods. More specifically, FuturEnzyme aimed to first deliver low-cost, eco-friendly enzymes. Instead of focusing on general enzyme discovery, the project prioritized delivering enzymes for existing market products, making them greener and more innovative based on their specific composition and use. With these enzymes, the project aimed to develop: 1) a prototype of a liquid laundry detergent using enzymes as key ingredients to break down stains at lower temperatures; 2) a gentle enzymatic process to produce a low molecular weight hyaluronic acid product for cosmetic formulations; and 3) a gentle enzymatic pre-treatment to remove spinning additives from synthetic fabrics. By embracing enzyme technology, FuturEnzyme contributes to building a world where industrial progress goes hand-in-hand with environmental responsibility, leading to cleaner products, more efficient processes, and a healthier planet for all. These innovations are directly aligned with the European Union’s (EU) safety and sustainability goals under the European Green Deal, the Circular Economy Action Plan, the Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD) framework, and the Clean Industrial Deal.
