While a common family of bacteria, Comamonadaceae, grow on plastics in urban rivers and wastewater systems, it was unclear how these bacteria interact with and break down plastic. Professor Ludmilla ...

Plastic grocery bags are a significant contributor to global plastic pollution, and California is taking a big step up in tackling the problem. Thomas is a native of upstate New York and a ...

An curved arrow pointing right. What do we get wrong when we talk about ocean plastic? A lot, it turns out. Business Insider producer Elizabeth McCauley dives into the scientific literature and ...

Scientists discovered that bacteria commonly found in wastewater can break down plastic to turn it into a food source, a finding that researchers hope could be a promising answer to combat one of ...

Randa Lindsey Kachef does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations ...

Some of the worst offenders, which can take decades to degrade in landfills, are polypropylene—which is used for things such as food packaging and bumpers—and polyethylene, found in plastic ...

A new study finds a bacterium in this family can break down the plastic for food. Researchers also identified the enzyme the bacterium use to degrade plastic. The discovery opens new possibilities ...

Black-colored plastic used in children’s toys, takeout containers, kitchen utensils and grocery meat and produce trays may contain alarming levels of toxic flame retardants that may be leaching ...

Now, Northwestern University-led researchers have discovered how cells of a Comamonas bacterium are breaking down plastic for food. First, they chew the plastic into small pieces, called nanoplastics.

Pathogenic viruses and antibiotic-resistant bacteria thrive on plastic. The biohazard risks of this ‘plastisphere’ shouldn’t be overlooked in efforts to tackle the pollution crisis.

Single-use plastic has always been a concern of Caitlin Broadbent, a sustainability technician at King’s College London. Each month, researchers in the institute’s Drosophila fly facilities ...