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How do Plastic-eating caterpillars digest plastic?

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Researchers in Europe have found that the larvae of a common insect have an unusual ability to digest plastic, a discovery that could lead to biotechnical advances that help deplete the continual buildup of one of the world's most stubborn pollutants. read more

Polyethylene, ubiquitous in plastic bags and packaging, poses a major threat to the environment, including for animals that get entangled in it, if not properly recycled. Bertocchini and her team reported study results in April claiming to show that wax moth caterpillar intestines chemically biodegrade plastic. read more

The UK alone discards almost 2m tonnes of this stuff every year. At the rate of consumption reported by the researchers – one worm gets through about two milligrams of plastic a day – you’d need billions of caterpillars eating constantly all year round to deal with that. read more

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