In the battle against polluting plastics, some interesting solutions have emerged to effectively break down a typically hard-wearing material.
A strain of mushrooms has been found able to digest the plastics found in cigarette butts, while enzymes found in laundry detergent have proved effective at breaking down plastics before being recycled.
Scientists have discovered a type of yeast that can break down persistent polyolefin plastics, which are used in items like disposable shopping bags and car parts.
As Interesting Engineering detailed, a study published in the mSystems journal revealed that a newly discovered yeast called Yarrowia lipolytica can essentially eat polyolefin plastics.
The yeast does so by altering its metabolism to focus on producing energy and forming lipids. This allows the yeast to survive on a plastic diet containing hydrocarbons.
What's more, the yeast releases byproducts including citric acid, which can be used in the development of biodegradable plastics.
"This breakthrough is an exciting development," said Interesting Engineering. "By harnessing the power of a tiny yeast, we might one day dismantle the mountains of plastic waste that threaten our planet."
According to Our World in Data, 450 million tons of plastic are produced every year, and plastic pollution has doubled over the course of 20 years.
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development says that only 9% of plastic is recycled, while 22% is mismanaged. In the United States, 73% was sent to landfill sites in 2019, where they will not degrade and will contribute to the production of planet-warming gases like methane.
In addition to helping thermometer readings tick up, plastic is a notable problem in our seas and oceans. Here, it can gradually erode and become microplastics, which can easily enter the bodies of marine creatures and lead to health complications and even death.
Microplastics can be found in drinking water and enter the human body, where they have been found in the blood, the lungs, the heart, and other vital organs.
That's why discoveries like this yeast are so promising as we try to remove plastic from the environment — some of which could have been around for decades.
More work needs to be done to determine if this yeast can be used on a large scale, with scientists noting that growth is limited on real-world plastic mixtures. But it shows what can be achieved with a little outside-of-the-box thinking.
In the meantime, avoiding single-use plastics and properly recycling can help keep this harmful material from polluting our delicate ecosystem.
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