Mealworms can safely digest polystyrene plastic. Photo Credit: Doppelgänger
AnimalsTechnology USAThese Worms Can Eat Plastic AND Help Create a Bioplastic
An American duo of designers has developed a bioplastic alternative to polystyrene foam that can degrade in just a couple of weeks – using polystyrene-eating mealworms!
Mealworms are able to safely digest and break down plastic, which means they can help fight pollution. Now, thanks to the designers, the mealworms’ exoskeleton can be used at the end of their life to also create a sustainable version of polystyrene foam that has “high biocompatibility and very low toxicity”.
“The mealworms can help divert polystyrene waste from landfills and natural environments,” says Charlotte Böhning, one-half of the design duo from Doppelgänger. “They can safely and efficiently digest the polystyrene foam with no ill effects on their own health.”
The shock-absorbent and water-resistant bioplastic called Chitofoam is an alternative to traditional expanded polystyrene — made from petroleum-based styrene that takes up to 30% of the space in landfills — and is derived from a biopolymer called chitin which makes up the mealworm’s exoskeleton. Once turned into a powder, chitin is dissolved in citric acid and mixed with a waste-derived biopolymer. Chirofoam is a thermoplastic that can be melted down and reformed, or placed in the soil where it degrades in 2 to 3 weeks.