As the global community continues to combat the plastic waste crisis, scientists have discovered the mealworm’s ability to eat plastic, bringing new hope for a cleaner, more sustainable future.

Scientists from the International Center for Insect Physiology and Ecology have discovered a promising solution to the growing problem of plastic waste.

A study published in Scientific Reports has revealed the potential for mealworms to consume and degrade plastic, providing a sustainable approach to tackling the plastic pollution crisis.

Dr. Fathiya Khamis, senior scientist at ICIPE and principal investigator of the study, explained that the mealworm’s ability to digest plastic is due to a consortium of bacteria in its gut.

“So either the mealworm or the bacteria could be exploited to biodegrade plastic,” she said.

She said that although mealworms are often mistaken for regular worms, they are actually the larvae of the mealworm.

Yellow mealworms (tenebrio molitor) are a species of mealworm and have been used around the world to biodegrade plastic.

“However, this is the first time that the small mealworm, native to Africa, has this ability.”

According to a USAID report on “Unlocking the Plastics Value Chain,” plastic pollution continues to be a significant problem in Kenya, despite national commitments and policies to reduce it.

An estimated 92 percent of plastic waste is mismanaged, and only seven percent is recycled.

This mismanagement leads to the dumping of 37 kilotons of plastic waste into the environment and oceans each year.

Globally, more than 400 million tonnes of plastic are produced each year, but less than 10% is recycled, and an estimated 19 to 23 million tonnes end up in oceans, rivers and lakes.

The environmental impact of plastic waste is devastating, as it contaminates water, harms ecosystems, contributes to land degradation and introduces toxic chemicals into the food chain.

The ICIPE study shows that although Africa produces only 5% and consumes 4% of the world’s plastic, single-use plastics are increasingly prevalent on the continent.

“Thanks to this, Africa has become the second most polluted region in the world,” he says.

ICIPE researchers focused on the little mealworm’s ability to consume polystyrene, one of the most common and problematic microplastics.

Polystyrene is widely used in food storage containers, disposable plates and cups, packaging materials and insulation for construction.

Current methods of recycling polystyrene, such as chemical, thermal, and mechanical processes, are expensive and often produce toxic byproducts that are harmful to humans and the environment.

“Our study shows that the little mealworm can ingest up to 50 percent polystyrene, particularly polystyrene, a form of polystyrene,” said Evalyne Ndotono, an ICIPE doctoral student involved in the study.