Researchers may have found an unusual way to reduce plastic pollution, one bite at a time. It turns out that the common wax worm can eat plastic. Also known as the Galleria mellonella, these worms may help reduce the waste caused by plastic bags. Each year, one trillion plastic bags are used around the world. They are made from polyethylene -- one of the strongest kinds of plastic. The wax worm is the larvae, or young form, of an insect called the greater wax moth. These kinds of worms are also called caterpillars. Federica Bertocchini is with the Institute of Biomedicine and Biotechnology of Cantabria in Spain. She says researchers found that the larvae of the Galleria mellonella are able to biodegrade the plastic bags. To biodegrade means to break down by natural processes or bacteria.
Title: Plastic Eating Worms May Cut Pollution
Content: <div id='article-page'><div id='article-content' data-media-url='//news-app-staging.s3.amazonaws.com' data-base-url='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1846/plastic_worms.m4a' data-capture-url='//staging.analytics.lingraphica.com/events/capture_news' data-article-title='Plastic Eating Worms May Cut Pollution' data-article-id='2363'><script src='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/javascripts/getscripts.js'></script><link rel='stylesheet' href='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/stylesheets/article.css' type='text/css' /><div class='article'><p><span data-start-time='0' data-end-time='10958'>Researchers may have found an unusual way to reduce plastic pollution, one bite at a time.</span> <span data-start-time='10958' data-end-time='17750'>It turns out that the common wax worm can eat plastic.</span> <span data-start-time='17750' data-end-time='30021'>Also known as the Galleria mellonella, these worms may help reduce the waste caused by plastic bags.</span> <span data-start-time='30021' data-end-time='37208'>Each year, one trillion plastic bags are used around the world.</span> <span data-start-time='37208' data-end-time='44313'>They are made from polyethylene -- one of the strongest kinds of plastic.</span> <span data-start-time='44313' data-end-time='55292'>The wax worm is the larvae, or young form, of an insect called the greater wax moth.</span> <span data-start-time='55292' data-end-time='60917'>These kinds of worms are also called caterpillars.</span> <span data-start-time='60917' data-end-time='72583'>Federica Bertocchini is with the Institute of Biomedicine and Biotechnology of Cantabria in Spain.</span> <span data-start-time='72583' data-end-time='85271'>She says researchers found that the larvae of the Galleria mellonella are able to biodegrade the plastic bags.</span> <span data-start-time='85271' data-end-time='95479'>To biodegrade means to break down by natural processes or bacteria.</span> </p></div><div class='control-buttons-sticky' style='display:none;'><div class='control-buttons'><button title='Back' class='back' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Play' class='play' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Pause' class='pause' style='display:none;'></button><button title='Forward' class='forward' disabled='disabled'></button><button class='finished-reading' style='display:none;'>Done</button></div></div></div><div id='article-media'><div id='media-image'><img src='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1846/plastic_worms2.jpg'/></div></div><div id='question-content' style='display:none;'><div class='vocabulary_question question-container' data-question-id=8594 data-hint-location='0' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1846/what_does_pollution_mean.m4a'>What does pollution mean?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='harmful contamination'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1846/reduce_waste.m4a'><span>reduce waste</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1846/to_break_down.m4a'><span>to break down</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1846/harmful_contamination.m4a'><span>harmful contamination</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1846/able_to_eat_plastic.m4a'><span>able to eat plastic</span></div></div></div><div class='multiple_choice_question question-container' data-question-id=8595 data-hint-location='55292' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1846/what_are_the_worms_also_called.m4a'>What are the worms also called?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='caterpillars'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1846/caterpillars.m4a'><span>caterpillars</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1846/plastic.m4a'><span>plastic</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1846/butterflies.m4a'><span>butterflies</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1846/moths.m4a'><span>moths</span></div></div></div><div class='sentence_completion_question question-container' data-question-id=8596 data-hint-location='10958' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1846/the_common_wax_worm_can_eat__blank_.m4a'>The common wax worm can eat <span class='blank'>plastic</span>.</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='plastic'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1846/bacteria.m4a'><span>bacteria</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1846/leaves.m4a'><span>leaves</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1846/insects.m4a'><span>insects</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1846/plastic.m4a'><span>plastic</span></div></div></div><div class='question-buttons'><button class='skip-button'></button><button class='hint-button'></button><button class='speak-button'></button></div></div></div>
Sound Name: https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1846/plastic_worms.m4a
Preview
