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Plastic is inert in a landfill, but occupies a lot of space. If it's burned, CO2 is released into the atmosphere and toxic ashes are left behind, although way l
by hobbes78 11y ago
Plastic is inert in a landfill, but occupies a lot of space. If it's burned, CO2 is released into the atmosphere and toxic ashes are left behind, although way less space is occupied. If all plastic is degraded by these bacteria, apparently no disadvantages seem to be present.
- PixelB 11y agoWell, not quite. "The worms converted about half of the Styrofoam into carbon dioxide, as they would with any food source." So they produce CO2 as well as a byproduct.
- kijin 11y agoThe byproduct is called poop, and the article says it can be used as fertilizer.
- azinman2 11y agoNot quite inert -- it slowly degrades to micro particles that will be difficult to keep in place, and birds will eat the bits along the way.
- digler999 11y agoBut it's a myth that we're running out of landfill space.