NEW HOPE FOR USING INSECTS, BACTERIA AND FUNGI TO BREAK DOWN PLASTIC WASTE

I have no doubt that in the final analysis, it will be science that will provide the solutions to most of our socio-economic problems. But even if the solutions are already there, I also have no doubt that it will be politics that will get in the way of science. If not politics, it will be greed—or more specifically, corporate greed—that will block the way.

Take plastic waste as an example. It would seem that we are losing the battle. Everywhere we look—in the streets, in rivers, in the ocean, and even in the food chain—we see traces of plastic. Globally, only about 9% of all plastic ever produced has been properly recycled, according to the Geneva Environment Network. The rest is either incinerated, landfilled, or dumped into the environment, where it can linger for centuries.

Yet with the latest scientific breakthroughs, there is new hope that we could still win this war. Around the world, researchers are studying how insects, bacteria, and fungi have evolved enzymes that can break down even the toughest plastics—polyethylene, polystyrene, polypropylene, PVC, and more. Some of these microbes live in the guts of humble mealworms, superworms, and waxworms. What these creatures digest naturally could someday be scaled up for industrial recycling.

In the United States, researchers like Mark Blenner at the University of Delaware are experimenting with the microbes found in mealworm stomachs. These microbes secrete enzymes that chop up plastics into smaller chemical pieces, which can then be reused. A startup called Plasticentropy has even identified enzymes from wax caterpillars—nicknamed “Demetra” and “Ceres”—that can dissolve thin plastic in just hours. In Kenya, scientists are exploring how local worm species might be harnessed for community-level waste management.

Imagine this for a moment: instead of shipping mountains of plastic waste to dumpsites, every local government unit (LGU) in the Philippines could have its own biological recycling center. This is not rocket science. It’s a no-brainer. We just need to apply it.

This is where government agencies like the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) should step in. They should jointly spearhead the adoption of this technology, and not just in Metro Manila or the big cities. The real goal should be to bring this innovation down to the LGU level. Barangays could eventually manage their own plastic waste with localized, biological solutions.

Of course, politics will come into play. Will big waste haulers and corporations that profit from landfills allow this technology to spread? Will plastic manufacturers resist efforts to make plastics truly biodegradable? These are real obstacles. But if we don’t act, the Philippines will continue drowning in plastic. A 2021 study by the nonprofit Ocean Conservancy named the Philippines as the single largest contributor of plastic waste into the ocean—responsible for more than a third of global ocean plastic leakage.

We should also identify and support our own Filipino scientists who may already be studying this field. Surely, among the bright minds at UP, Ateneo, La Salle, and our state universities, there are microbiologists and bioengineers working on microbial solutions to plastic waste. Let us give them the funding, laboratories, and incentives they need to turn research into reality.

Perhaps the Development Academy of the Philippines (DEVDEP) or NEDA could do some studies on the economic impact of this technology. Just think of the possibilities: less money wasted on landfill operations, fewer health costs from polluted air and water, and new industries based on bio-recycling. This could also create jobs for LGUs and communities who would manage these micro-bioreactors.

But let us also temper our excitement with caution. As some environmentalists warn, these technologies are not silver bullets. They should not become an excuse to keep producing plastic at the same rate—or worse, at an even greater scale. We must still focus on reducing plastic use, banning unnecessary single-use plastics, and promoting alternatives.

Still, I believe that this is a battle worth fighting, and science is giving us the weapons to fight it. Worms, bacteria, and fungi may not look like warriors, but in their microscopic way, they could help humanity reclaim the environment from the plague of plastic. The question is—will we let politics and greed stand in the way, or will we finally act on this new hope?

Ramon Ike V. Seneres, www.facebook.com/ike.seneres 
iseneres@yahoo.com, senseneres.blogspot.com 

12-17-2025