Would you advocate the genetic development of a bacterial strain that will comsume/decompose plasitcs?

Question

Plastics are the single most artificial and longterm harmful waste humans produce. It does not decompose naturally, and there is no natural process to get rid of it.

I think the sacrifice in inconvenience would be worth development of bacteria that will decompose plastics and unlock that stored energy and put it back into the biosphere.

Answer 1

Heck no!  What if they got out and ate my 2006 Toyongda Pious?  How could I be progressive without it?  I'd have to call the Orkin man and have him spray my car.

Answer 2

You call it harmful.  Why?  Is it toxic.  Are you suggesting that it takes up too much space.  Calculate the volume of plastic relative to the surface of the earth and I think you will find that it isn't as great a problem as you assume.  It is simply used by some to scare people.   Genetically developing plastic eating bacteria doesn't bode well with my vinyl windows.

Answer 3

I agree with your premise but most of my cosmetics are in plastic containters.

Answer 4

So what if the bacteria takes a ****?  Will that be biodegradable?  Or will we now have a problem of plastic s***s and then we will need to develop another bacteria to eat plastic ****.

Answer 5

Very good question.  But it's like building more roads to ease traffic congestion - I don't think the solution addresses the underlying cause of the problem.  We have way too much junk, too much packaging, not enough global consciousness.

Answer 6

I would support that  idea but I would advocate research new types of plastics that are biodegradable and more effort put into recycling plastics.

At present they will only accept types 1 (PET) & 2 HDPE out of countless types.