Scientists have identified a bacterial consortium that can cooperatively break down phthalate plasticizers, compounds that individual microbes cannot digest on their own. This discovery represents a significant advance in understanding how microbial communities might tackle plastic pollution more effectively than single organisms.
While hundreds of plastic-eating microbes have been discovered over the past quarter century, their practical application remains limited. Current microbial plastic digestion is slow, requires high temperatures, and only works efficiently in controlled bioreactor environments rather than natural settings.