New studies suggest mealworms can eat plastics and remain just as healthy as a mealworm that eats bran, the typical diet of a mealworm. The tiny but mighty worms not only have the ability to digest polyethylene, they also turn the plastics into biodegradable waste that can be used for soil.
Mealworms cleaning up the messes humans make seems kind of twisted, but I'm really glad that these cool little creatures can not only help eliminate waste, but they can also turn the harmful materials into substances that can promote wellbeing in almost every way imaginable. The only downside is perhaps the invasiveness of introducing mealworms in places they wouldn't normally live, but even then, waste companies could keep them in a secluded habitat to build an efficient life cycle and community.
The introduction of plastics in industry came from the inventions of John Wesley Hyatt in 1869 as a replacement for ivory and other limited natural materials. It allowed for the reduction of wild elephant slaughter and freedom in manufacturing because companies could design without worrying about material scarcity. Today, it is still handy for so many products from shampoo to furniture, but is damaging ocean and land ecosystems. Mealworms can help solve the problem of excessive waste, even if they can't get rid of the problem completely.
http://www.cnn.com/2015/09/30/us/styrofoam-eating-mealworms-plastic-waste/index.html
This also relates to conservatism and the progressive era! How cool.
ReplyDeleteThat's so interesting, who knew mealworms would be so helpful to the planet? -Mattie Whisler 9th period Flex
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