"Worms can Save the World!"
Scientist just discovered a natural way to solve the increasing plastic waste problem! Amazing isn’t it? Moreover the heroes are not your usual suspects… in fact, many believe that worms are pests and nothing more. The researchers from Cambridge University in the UK found out that a tiny caterpillar more commonly known as waxworm have an appetite for plastic!
They claim that these little creatures can devour plastic at “uniquely high speeds”.
They claim that these little creatures can devour plastic at “uniquely high speeds”.
They see a great potential in utilizing this environmentally-friendly strategy and we’re talking industrial scale!
Plans to breed millions of waxworms are being considered. I think it’s going to be somewhat a paradise for them since they will be spending their days munching on plastic bags, bottles, and other discarded waste.
It takes centuries to biodegrade plastic so they end up in landfills around a trillion of them, actually.
Dr.Paolo Bombelli is extremely excited since everyone knows that breaking down plastic materials is a great challenge. The waxworm has enzymes in their saliva that aids in digesting the plastic’s chemical bonds. Someday they may be able to replicate these enzymes to create a spray for faster decomposing.
They are continuously working hard to resolve this huge plastic waste disposal situation and to save out oceans, rivers and all the unavoidable consequences of plastic usage.