Can These Plastic-Eating Wax Worms Help Reduce Our Trash?

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Wax worm chewing through plastic (Photo Credit: Federica Bertocchini, Paolo Bombelli, and Chris Howe)

Though plastic shopping bags are incredibly cheap and useful, their disposal causes widespread pollution. That's because the non-biodegradable polyethylene takes centuries to decompose and is also detrimental to wildlife who often mistake the colorful debris for food. Now, we may have an unlikely ally to help clean up our trash – a small wax worm bred primarily for use as premium fish bait.

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  • Specialist 7년 이상
    I’m so thankful there’s someone who can eat this stuff. We have way too much plastic, and maybe they can help with that. But I’m also cautious because hey, what if these worms are natural predators for other organisms? You know what happened when the boa was brought to Florida. It was accidentally released and is now destroying the Florida ecosystem. I know this is a tiny little worm, but if it can eat other little guys, doesn’t that mean the whole food chain will be disrupted? I’m glad of this new discovery, but wary.
    • DogoLegit7년 이상
      Gross but ayyyyyyyy its goood
      • ethan1324
        ethan13247년 이상
        it happend in may 25 2017
        • nope.7년 이상
          ...gross....but...cool
          • Good7년 이상
            Good I like it informational
            • Chara =)7년 이상
              cool.......but really gross =) <3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3
            • Dat Boi7년 이상
              why the heck would you want them in a bucket on a plate grossss
              • Frisk The Human8년 이하
                When did it happen???
                • death8년 이하
                  lol
                  • Green koolaid8년 이하
                    OH YEAAAH!!!!

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