There's been an exciting new discovery in the fight against plastic pollution: mealworm larvae that are capable of consuming polystyrene. They join the ranks of a small group of insects that have been found to be capable of breaking the polluting plastic down, though this is the first time that an insect species native to Africa has been found to do this.
  • Pilferjinx@lemmy.world
    17·
    3 days ago

    It wasn’t in the article, but is the styrofoam converted into something else as excrement? Or do they just crap out micro plastic?

    • PhilipTheBucket@ponder.catOP
      20·
      3 days ago

      I clicked through to the Nature article, and it sounds like about half the plastic gets used for making energy and exhaled as carbon dioxide, with the other half getting pooped out as microplastics. I’d call that progress. It’s not the end goal, but it’s a good tool with some potential, is I think what they are saying.