Scientists have been searching for a solution to the plastic waste problem for years. So far they have only discovered chemical means to degrade certain types of plastic. Two high school students one in the USA, the other in China have discovered microorganisms that can rapidly biodegrade plastic. Plastic, one of the most indestructible of manufactured materials does in fact eventually decompose. It takes 1,000 years but decompose it does, which means there must be microorganisms out there to do the decomposing. In searching for a way to speed up the decomposition the US student found a process that by immersing ground plastic in a yeast solution encourages microbial growth. He then isolated the most productive organisms. This process could be a major breakthrough as 500 billion plastic bags alone are manufactured each year and the Pacific Ocean Garbage Patch continues to grow. These discoveries need to be tested to ensure, for instance, that the bi-products of organic decomposition are not carcinogenic. There are also concerns that the microbes might escape so a controlled environment will be essential.

1966 and all that:The Trading Post paper was first printed and published in Melbourne in 1966. The last print edition went on sale last week.