Three waxworms model for the photo shoot on plastic consumed by them. (Harald Grove/Brandon University) (CN) — Each year, 100 million tons of polyethylene plastic are produced globally, and in the ...

Two substances in the saliva of wax worms — moth larvae that eat wax made by bees to build honeycombs — readily break down a common type of plastic, researchers said on Tuesday, in a potential advance ...

To date, several different microorganisms have been found to participate in the biodegradation of various synthetic plastic materials following their isolation from the soil of plastic-dumping sites, ...

Plastics play a fundamental role in modern life, but their resistance to biodegradation makes them very difficult to dispose of. New research reveals how "plastivore" caterpillars can metabolically ...

Researchers are optimizing the process of extracting chitin from black soldier fly carcasses, which can be used to synthesize biodegradable bioplastics. Using insects to make plastics that are ...

In phase 1, specific microorganisms, like bacteria and fungi, colonize the surface of the plastic material. These microorganisms can either be present naturally in the environment or added ...

As the global demand for plastic rises every year, the amount of plastic waste generated also increases. The OECD estimated in 2019 that the world generates approximately 353 million tons of plastic ...

Every year, humans produce more than 300 million tons of plastic waste — the vast majority of which is not properly recycled. Between 4.8 and 12.7 million tons of plastic ends up in the oceans each ...