The fungi that gobble up plastic

Each year, the world produces more than 300 million tonnes of plastic waste. Unlike natural materials like paper or wood, which break down quite quickly and mix with soil, plastic can take hundreds of years to break down. Now, a group of scientists at the University of Sydney, in Australia, have found a way to break down plastic using fungi. Fungi are a group of plant-like organisms, including mould, mushrooms and yeast. The scientists focused on two types, called Aspergillus terreus and Engyodontium album, which are often found in soil. In the experiment, the fungi were used to break down a type of plastic called polypropylene, which makes up 28% of the world’s plastic waste. It’s used to make food containers and bottle tops. The scientists used pieces of polypropylene…

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The Week Junior (UK) (Digital) - 1 Issue, 386

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