Meal worms eat plastic & Styrofoam

Plastic and Styrofoam, the biggest contributors to global pollution, can safely be consumed by the meal worm.

Researchers have found detailed evidence that bacteria in worm’s gut can safely biodegrade plastic and potentially help reduce the environmental impact of plastic in landfill and elsewhere.

These gut microorganisms are able to biodegrade polyethylene, a common form of plastic, according to new studies published in Environmental Science and Technology by co-authors Professor Jun Yang and his doctorate student Yu Yang of Beihang University, and Stanford University engineer Wei-Min Wu.

“Our findings have opened a new door to solve the global plastic pollution problem,” co-author Wei-Min Wu, a senior research engineer in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Stanford, said in a statement.

"The findings are revolutionary. This is one of the biggest breakthroughs in environmental science in the past 10 years," Wu said in an interview with CNN.

He added that the findings could help solve the plastic pollution problem affecting the world.

In the study, 100 mealworms ate between 34 and 39 milligrams of Styrofoam each day, converting about half into carbon dioxide and the other excreting the bulk of the rest as biodegraded droppings. They remained healthy on the plastic diet, and their droppings appeared to be safe for use as soil for crops.

Considering how much plastic and Styrofoam waste is generated every year, these meal worms can assist us to manage our waste in a more responsible way.

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