Can Rainforests Help Break Up Plastic?

By now it's common knowledge that our world's rainforests need to be protected before they're all gone.  But new information released yesterday gives us even more of a reason for rainforest preservation.

According to Popular Science, students from Yale University discovered that one Amazonian fungus can eat even the most durable of landfill waste.  The group of students made the discovery while traveling to Ecuador.  Most importantly, the researchers found that the fungus can break down polyurethane.

While this form of plastic has certainly been hailed by many for being both flexible and strong at the same time, it's also very difficult to break down.  It lasts in landfills for quite some time.  Coming along something that can degrade it naturally is obviously a great solution.

The particular fungus that the students found is called Pestalotiopsis microspora, and can actually survive on polyurethane alone.  Hopefully scientists will be able to find the hungry species in the rainforest!