The New Superworms That Eat Styrofoam

The key to a plastic-degrading enzyme may lie in the stomach of these larvae

Image of darkling beetle larvae eating polystyrene by the University of Queensland.

It would surprise most people to know that there are no Styrofoam food containers in the world. And yet we’ve all seen them and eaten off of them, so surely that must be false? Styrofoam is a specific brand of polystyrene and is produced by the company DuPont who assures consumers that, “There isn’t a coffee cup, cooler, or packaging material in the world made from actual Styrofoam”. Instead the company produces insulation and other building materials, though the name “Styrofoam” is used by many people to describe generic products made from polystyrene.

Polystyrene itself is so ubiquitous that it’s been with most of us since childhood — cradling our school lunches and cushioning our packages with the floaty, squeaky peanuts that envelop our online orders. Polystyrene is made of units of the chemical styrene, now believed to be a carcinogen by the Department of Health and Human Services as well as the International Agency for Research on Cancer. For those that often use these products, hot food and drinks should never be placed in polystyrene containers nor should they be used to heat your food up in the microwave. It’s also advisable not to scrape your utensils against the polystyrene to avoid ingesting any particles along with…