Plastic-eating fungus from Amazon breaks down waste without oxygen, study finds

Researchers from Yale University discovered a fungus called Pestalotiopsis microspora in the Ecuadorian Amazon that can break down polyester polyurethane, a common plastic. The fungus uses the plastic as a carbon source and can work without oxygen, which matters because landfills often lack oxygen. The finding was published in 2011 but remains relevant as plastic waste continues to grow globally. The fungus could eventually help manage persistent plastic waste in landfills where biological degradation is normally slow. However, the research is still at an early stage. Scaling up from lab conditions to real landfill environments will require more work on enzyme production and cost. For now, the discovery shows that natural solutions to plastic pollution exist but need sustained research funding to become practical.