Biodegradation of plastic foams by insect larvae: a sustainable strategy?

Abstract

Many modern human activities rely greatly on plastic foams, whose consumption and production have considerably increased in the past decades. The use of plastic products has had positive impacts on human general welfare; however, the negative effects derived from their inappropriate disposition have become a major concern, especially during the current COVID-19 sanitary emergency, in which the utilization of single-use plastics has rapidly increased. Although some plastic polymers such as polyethylene (PE) and polystyrene (PS) can be recycled, the high demand for energy and technology, the use of potentially toxic substances and the low profitability of the process, make this option non-optimal. In this situation, biological treatment of plastic waste is emerging as a promising alternative and the use of PE and PS-eating organisms, such as mealworms and waxworms, has attracted the attention of researchers around the world. The aim of this review is to synthesize the most recent advances in the field of plastics polymers degradation by insects larvae and an analysis of the current and future trends of this developing research area.