Scientist believe worms feeding on plastic can be the solution for recycling

Scientist Believes this Worm can be the Solution for Plastic Recycling.

In the recent era, plastic has proved to be one of the biggest problems the planet is facing. Most plastics are not easy to recycle. According to the recent Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development report, only 9% of the total plastic is recycled. The static is worse for polystyrene. Out of 80,000 tons of polystyrene containers generated, only around 5000 tons are recycled in the United States.

A worm species found by Researchers at the University of Queensland has an appetite for polystyrene. Scientists discovered that the common Zophobas Morio ‘super worm’ has a bacterial enzyme in its guts that can digest plastic and provide energy. 

Dr. Chris Rinke and his team from UQ’s School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences study the worm. Over three weeks, they fed some worms with polystyrene foam, some bran, and others on a fasting diet. Dr. Rinke said, “We found the superworms fed a diet of just polystyrene not only survived but even had marginal weight gains,” Dr. Rinke said. “This suggests the worms can derive energy from the polystyrene, most likely with the help of their gut microbes.”

Dr. Rinke said that superworms are like recycling plants that can make polystyrene and styrene. The breakdown product of the reaction can be used to create high-value compounds like bioplastics. This bio-upcycle can be very helpful for reducing plastic waste and landfills.