Waxworms can eat plastic

Until now, the waxworms, the larvae of wax moths (Galleria mellonella) were best known as fishbait, or as a pest that infests beehives. Beekeeper Federica Bertocchini got rid of waxworms in her hive, only to find that they ate their way out of the plastic rubbish bag! As a scientist working for a Spanish entity, she investigated their ability to eat plastic. Could maggots save the environment by eating plastic waste?