Plastic Eating Fungus: If it can be said that fungus can digest plastic, it would definitely be that fungus Pestalotiopsis microspora. The most extraordinary has come as a bleakest discovery towards the fight against plastic pollution. It was discovered quietly in an Amazon rainforest and actually does have the ability to degrade polyurethane. Which happens to be one of the most ubiquitous and the most difficult plastics to recycle. It is widely used in making cases for mobile phones, shoes, insulation materials, and other items.
Most biodegradable options demand heat and moisture for optimal conditions. However, Pestalotiopsis microspora can digest plastic in an environment devoid of oxygen such as in landfill waste. But in this case, it’s not an issue, since the fungus thrives under extreme, poor oxygen conditions. Making it a super ally in nature against long-lasting plastic waste.
The Natural Way Out of a World Crisis
Each year, more than 300 million tons of plastic is produced worldwide, and a very small fraction of all this is properly recycled. It is, therefore, opened room for alternative solutions to start emerging. This is, rather, the offer for a natural environmentally friendly mechanism for dealing with plastic waste in areas. Where conditions of resource deprivation would otherwise prevent conventional recyclers from getting into the picture-developing new methodology for managing plastic waste, for underlying countries facing landfill overflow.
Challenges of Future Application
Currently, research is being carried out on how Pestalotiopsis microspora can be scaled up. From landfill liners infused with fungus to microbial units of plastic digestion, many efforts simply go to finding scalable and, at best, safer applications. However, there are challenges that still dominate the adoption of this technology, such as the management of usage control and biosecurity, as well as effectiveness on mixed plastics of different PG types.
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