The Ecological Problem of Polyethylene

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Although polyethylene can be recycled, most of the commercial polyethylene ends up in landfills, and in the oceans such as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Polyethylene is not considered biodegradable, because, except when it is exposed to UV from sunlight, it takes several centuries until it is efficiently degraded.[citation needed] In May 2008, Daniel Burd, a 16-year-old Canadian, won the Canada-Wide Science Fair in Ottawa after discovering that Pseudomonas Fluorescens, with the help of "Sphingomonas" two types of bacteria, can degrade over 40% of the weight of plastic bags in less than three months. Researchers are yet to find a practical application for this finding, however.