The world has a plastic problem. Not only is plastic being dumped into landfills and oceans at an alarming rate, but all this plastic can take up to a millennium to degrade. A group of scientists in Pakistan believes they may have found a possible solution in a soil fungus that rapidly devours plastic. Just like other organisms feed on dead plants or animal matter, this fungus feeds on plastic and breaks it down. The researchers say if they can find the optimal conditions, they could deploy the fungus in waste treatment plants.
This article was originally published on September 19, 2017
