Meet the waxworm, a plastic-eating caterpillar that could solve our waste problem

[Judi Lynn]

These ‘plastivores’ could help to reduce the volume of plastic in landfills.

By Holly Spanner
01st May, 2020 at 20:11

Since the mid-20th Century, plastic production has increased exponentially, and the resulting pollution has become a global environmental issue. Little by little, we are replacing plastics with more environmentally friendly options, but what about the plastic that’s already out there? Maybe Mother Nature can help out.

Meet the waxworm: traditionally thought of as a pest, its love of beeswax may have a surprising benefit.



Wax moth © Daniel Bright
Wax moths lay their eggs in beeswax in beehives. When the caterpillars wriggle out, they tunnel through the combs, munching as they go.



Wax moth eggs in beeswax © Daniel Bright

Beeswax, the caterpillars’ natural diet, and LDPE, a plastic used to make shopping bags, are made from almost identical chains of carbon and hydrocarbon.



Waxworm caterpillar © Daniel Bright

The caterpillars’ gut bacteria can degrade and process the plastic as a traditional food source, producing biodegradable glycol as a metabolic by-product. These glycol excretions could be reduced by antibiotic treatment, a study has found.

More:
https://www.sciencefocus.com/nature/meet-the-waxworm-a-plastic-eating-caterpillar-that-could-solve-our-waste-problem/

[hwmnbn]

1. First post I opened today...

and again, Judy Lynn brings some great news to start my day.

Plastic eating worms.... what more could we ask for!?!?





BTW Judy Lynn, ... ...you should go national.

[Vinnie From Indy]

2. I love your posts Judi!!

Thank you!

[jaxexpat]

3. "glycol excretions could be reduced by antibiotic treatment, a study has found."

Yeah sure, I see a future when we're up to our ears in plastic caterpillar poop. I suppose we'll just pass that on to the next generation. Apocalypse, thy name is Glycol Excretion. ( but not bad once you get used to it )

[paleotn]

4. Mom nature is so creative....

If it can be consumed for energy, building bodies and reproduction, it's consumed. From eating hydrogen sulfide at undersea geothermal vents to eating LDPE plastic bags. Plus, like the meal worm guys in France, it may be possible to harvest the plastic fattened caterpillars as a protein source. Plastic bags become animal feed and fertilizer. Waste not, want not.

https://www.technologist.eu/the-high-value-of-mealworms/

[DetlefK]

5. The glycol isn't actually a problem, more of a nuisance:

The glycol will simply evaporate away into the air. On the downside, it's a greenhouse-gas. On the upside, once it's in the air it will eventually get destroyed by the Sun's UV-light.

[sarge43]

6. Wax worms can and do destroy honey bees hives.

What stopping them from destroying good plastic, the plastic we want?

In nature there's no free lunch. There's always a down side or a balance if you will. Kudzu is a pretty ornamental until it turns into an invasive barbarian hoard.

[Grins]

8. "There's no free lunch..."

You beat me to it.

How many times have we brought in some plant or animal to solve some problem of our own creation that, over time, created even much, much bigger problems?

Want to solve the problems of plastic? Ban it! Recycling has been a failure. Admit it. Make the investment into something new.

[sarge43]

10. It's long list of oopies; we done screwed up.

Some of them tragic.

We're going to run out of oil. We better come up with a work around or the original Mad Max will be a documentary.

[marble falls]

7. Make me feel guilty for using them as my favorite bait for Blue Gill.

[Ferrets are Cool]

9. Next weeks headline: Trump announces "WAR ON WAXWORMS"

[NNadir]

11. This will only seem reasonable to people if they don't understand scale.

And they don't understand scale.

Let's look at this way: The worm has existed since well before the discovery of polymerization in the early 20th century.

They have existed since plastic pollution became a worldwide problem.