2,000 ‘plastivore’ caterpillars can gobble a stubborn plastic bag in 24 hours

Researchers at Brandon University found waxworms can rapidly degrade polyethylene plastic, with 2,000 waxworms breaking down a plastic bag in 24 hours. The caterpillars metabolize plastic into body fat, though it's fatal as a sole diet. Scientists are investigating ways to use this ability for large-scale plastic waste reduction, possibly through mass rearing or lab replication. Challenges include the waxworms' threat to bee colonies and the scale needed to address global plastic pollution.