According to the American Chemistry Council, in 2018 in the United States, 27million tons of plastic ended up in landfills compared to just 3.1 million tons that were recycled. Worldwide the numbers are similarly bad, with just 9% of plastic being recycled according to a recent OFCD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development) report. The statistics are even worse for certain types of pastie. For example, out of 80, 000 lens of polystyrene containers generated in the United States, a negligible amount(less than 5, 000 tons) was recycled.
Now, researchers at the University of Queensland have found that a species of worm with an appetite for polystyrene could be the key to plastic recycling on a mass scale. They discovered that the Zophobas morio also called "super-worm" can eat through polystyrene, thanks to a bacterial enzyme (酶) in its "Stomach". Dr. Chris Rilke and his team from UQ's School of Chemistry and Molecular Bioscience fed super-worms different diets over a three-week period, with some given polystyrene, some outer skin of grain separated from the flour, and others pul on a fasling diet.
"We found the super-worms fed a dict of just polystyrene not only survived, but even had slight weight gains," Dr. Rilke said. "This suggests the worms can get energy from the polypropylene, most likely with the help of their internal micro-organisms. They are like mini recycling plants, tearing up the polystyrene with their mouths and then feeding it to the bacteria in their ‘stomach'. "
Co-author of the research, PhD candidate Jiarui Sun, said they aimed to grow the bacteria in the lab and further test their ability to break down polystyrene. "We can then look into how we can upgrade this process lo a level required for an entire recycling plant," Ms. Sun said.
