Singapore Scientists Say 'Superworms' Could Save the World

Scientists in Singapore are looking at bacteria found in beetle larvae that might help break down plastic trash.

Transcript

00:00 Plastic trash. A problem across the globe, but especially acute in regions like Southeast Asia,

00:06 filling rivers, coastlines, and landfills.

00:10 But who can save the world from this tsunami of trash?

00:13 Researchers in Singapore think this gargantuan problem could be resolved by the smallest of superheroes.

00:19 Meet the superworms.

00:21 These plastic-eating beetle larvae not only have super-powered stomachs, but can be found almost anywhere.

00:27 We bought superworms from a local pet store.

00:30 This superworm is very famous because it can eat and break down plastic.

00:34 The superworms won't be used on trash directly.

00:37 Instead, scientists are hoping to harness the bacteria in their gut to do the work on its own.

00:42 Once the worms are done feeding with plastics, so this is what it looks like, they create holes,

00:47 we take out the microorganisms from their gut and we put them in flasks with fresh plastics

00:54 and eventually they start growing on them and degrading them.

00:57 Nowhere is the plastic problem more acute than in Asia.

01:00 80% of the ocean's plastic pollution comes from the region,

01:04 and more than half of the world's plastics are produced here.

01:07 But scientists hope that the bacteria can become a new natural tool in the trash-fighting toolbox.

01:13 To take care of our plastic waste crisis, we A) need to use less plastic,

01:18 B) we need to shift to products that are more sustainable, like coffee cups that we can reuse multiple times,

01:24 and C) we need to increase our recycling effort, and for that we can use the superworm.

01:31 It's still uncertain if the bacteria can work at a scale large enough to make a dent in the trash crisis.

01:37 That's why most experts still say that changing individual habits will be essential to reducing waste.

01:43 So for now at least, it seems humans won't be able to squirm their way out of this one.

01:48 Chris Ma and Chris Gorin for Taiwan Plus.

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