Scientists Plan to Mimic Plastic-loving Caterpillar’s Abilities

The world’s plastic build-up could be gone within the next few decades thanks to a species of caterpillar that eats plastic bags. This caterpillar - the moth Galleria mellonella’s initial form - is known to eat beeswax from hives, and the creature’s molecular synthesis of this material works just as well for polyethylene, the thin, flexible plastic that makes up grocery bags.

Polyethylene is constructed at a shocking rate of eighty million tonnes per year, and effectively disposing of it has been a long-time problem. Although the material is biodegradable, the process lasts hundreds of years. Fortunately, plastic-eating caterpillars take less than sixty minutes to create holes in polyethylene bags, making them more susceptible to rapid breakdown.

The science behind this caterpillar’s plastic-destroying ability is still a mystery, but researchers plan to investigate and form a concrete solution for excess polyethylene. Some suspect that the insect’s microbes play a significant part in the deterioration process, which could be mimicked and applied to areas with plastic overload.

Of course, reducing the amount of products made with plastic will have a significant positive effect on the problem. However, the material cannot be eliminated completely without society suffering serious consequences.

If this study produces a remedy to our plastic build-up problem, we could be one step closer to restoring the planet’s health.