Comment by wongarsu
5 hours ago
We are increasingly finding bacteria and fungi that eat various plastics. Not just lab-grown, but actual organically evolved bacteria eating PLA and the like
That said, I doubt this will become apocalyptic. Wood is highly biodegradable, yet even untreated wood will last decades if you keep it dry and away from soil. Microorganisms eating plastic will make it less weather-resistant and maybe worse food packaging, but it won't kill all use of plastic
I hope it will though (kill all use of plastic).
We already make car wiring insulation out of soya-based plastic, which is highly biodegradable and palatable to micro- and macro-organisms of all sorts.
Which is why so many modern cars have weird electrical faults and fires.
I can attest that the soya-based wiring can be a nightmare in some locales. A family member bought a new Acura in the 2010s and the car was a constant target of the local rat population that would climb into the engine bay and fill up on wiring insulation like it was gummy candy. He had the wiring harnesses replaced several times but ultimately gave up and sold it after the final repair.
It seems like they could incorporate capsaicin and other deterrents into the polymers, but that probably isn't pleasant for individuals involved in the production process.
FWIW, it's a myth. Confirmation bias continues to drive it. Rats love wires no matter what they are made of, they happily chew up petroleum-based plastics too.
1 reply →
The myth will never die. Plastics that use soy degrade no faster than petroleum based plastics, and do not attract rodents to a greater extent either. Rodents love to chew on all wires, including petroleum-based ones.
How frequently do you repair electrical faults on cars?
1 reply →