German researchers have identified freshwater fungi capable of breaking down synthetic plastics, offering a potential natural ...

In a striking paradox, the fossil fuels we extract today exist because fungi once lacked these abilities. Now, fungi are emerging as the very organisms that can consume plastics and remediate oil ...

There are more than 30 million tons of plastic waste sitting in American landfills. Those plastics can take hundreds of years to break down naturally. A scientific breakthrough could help clean it ...

Plastic eating enzymes can break down certain plastics in hours instead of centuries. It's a simple process. The plastics are put into a container filled with enzyme solution.

REUTERS/Evan Garcia [1/4]Hiro Technologies Co-Founder Miki Agrawal poses with a diaper and a pouch full of plastic-eating fungi at her company’s laboratory, in Austin, Texas, U.S, May 15, 2025.

The Clean Oceans Initiative (COI) 2.0 was launched at the 2025 United Nations Ocean Conference in Nice, France, to mitigate ocean plastic pollution. An expanded collaborative effort by six public ...

It also plans to experiment with plastic-eating fungi on adult diapers, feminine care products and other items. For now, it is selling "diaper bundles" for $35 a week online.

It also plans to experiment with plastic-eating fungi on adult diapers, feminine care products and other items. For now, it is selling “diaper bundles” for $35 a week online.