IFL Science introduces us to “plastivores” — a species of waxworm caterpillars (often thought of as beehive pests) that get fat gorging themselves on plastic waste:
“Around 2,000 waxworms can break down an entire polyethylene bag in as little as 24 hours, although we believe that co-supplementation with feeding stimulants like sugars can reduce the number of worms considerably,” Dr Bryan Cassone, a Professor of Insect Pest and Vector Biology in the Department of Biology at Brandon University in Canada, said in a statement.
“However, understanding the biological mechanisms and consequences on fitness associated with plastic biodegradation is key to using waxworms for large-scale plastic remediation,” explained Cassone.
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However, a diet of solely plastic isn’t the healthiest, and it certainly won’t guarantee the caterpillars a long, happy life. Cassone commented: “They do not survive more than a few days on a plastic-only diet and they lose considerable mass.”
In other words, simply chucking waxworms onto islands of plastic trash isn’t going to be a viable solution to pollution in the long term. Nevertheless, the researchers believe they’ve identified a few promising ways these caterpillars could still play a role in tackling the plastic crisis.
“Firstly, we could mass rear waxworms on a co-supplemented polyethylene diet as part of a circular economy. Secondly, we could explore the re-engineering of the plastic biodegradation pathway outside the animal,” said Cassone.
Additionally, the large-scale production of waxworms could build up a significant surplus of insect biomass, which could be used for commercial fish food.