Biodegradation - What's Going on in the Field?

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Recycling at the moment of plastic is not very satisfactory in that because it's so hard to break down these long polymers. The idea that there could be a more natural solution to plastics is quite exciting, but it is just the latest in a series of new tools scientists have come up with. What else is being explored in the field of bio degradation? There's a bug that's been found in a Japanese waste dump, which has been very promising. Compost of leaves has also been a place where some bugs have been found.

Plastic pollution is damaging the health of the environment, wildlife and us. It has been found on remote islands, in Antarctic snow and in human blood, breast milk and lungs. Alongside rapidly reducing how much plastic we produce, we also need to find new ways to tackle the waste we have created. Madeleine Finlay speaks to the Guardian’s environment editor, Damian Carrington, about the discovery of an enzyme that can rapidly break down plastic bags – found inside the saliva of wax worms – and where else we might find solutions in the natural world. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod