Given that the bulk of PS waste is food-contaminated packaging that needs to be cleaned prior to many current recycling methods, the natural plastic degradation by worms seems to be a better solution, especially when considering that the worms are food sources, and that their frass are natural fertilizers to form a zero-waste (a goal as defined by the Zero Waste International Alliance and Eco Cycle Solutions Hub ) conversion of PS waste. With reports that superworms were able to consume PS at a higher rate than mealworms, there is promise of superworms joining mealworms in the fight against PS waste. The use of insect frass as alternatives to commercial fertilisers was recently shown with black soldier fly frass demonstrating to support the growth of maize and ryegrass. As larvae, they can be bred at high density to excrete nitrogen and chitin-rich frass waste that was shown capable of substituting traditional NPK (Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium) fertilizers in a circular economy. Mealworms were found to naturally consume, metabolize and mineralize the carbon in PS, an ability found to be conferred by the commensal gut bacteria. They are protein-rich food sources, with mealworms recently approved to be safe for human consumption in the EU. Within the darkling beetle ( Tenebrionidae) family, superworms ( Zophobas morio) and mealworms ( Tenebro molitor) are naturally voracious agricultural insect pests. Even though PS waste can be incinerated, this releases toxic fumes, causing air pollution, pushing for the search for better alternative PS waste management methods. While ubiquitous, its resistance to degradation causes its waste to accumulate, leading to pollution. Styrofoam, or polystyrene (PS), are light polymers with low heat conductivity that can be synthesized to different shapes and sizes, allowing it to be widely used worldwide.
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