Maybe the only thing more worrisome than microplastics everywhere is unstoppable plastics eating organisms everywhere, eating through all plastics everywhere.

If you don't eat your biomass compound goo, you can't have any PlastiYum bacterial sludge

Is there any of this ”bacteria converting plastic to fuel/food/neutral stuff“ actually applied anywhere at scale under economically reasonably conditions?

There was a Doomwatch episode on his subject with airliners falling out of the sky bcause all the plastic had been eaten away.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doomwatch#Series_One

In 2011 researchers identified a fungus named pestalotiopsis microspora. It gained widespread attention because it can digest polyurethane plastic and survive entirely in anaerobic conditions, making it a prime candidate for deployment at the bottom of landfills.

I for one look forward to serving this underground deity.

soilent goo, again!

you, yes you, area "biomass compound", well maybe not quite yet, but soon, as these things go, but most definitly every last putrid smelly horrible thing is a "biomass compound", and when you add in plastic we are talking about most of the stuff found in millions of dumpsters, and most of the stuff actualy in dumps, or sewers.

This then solves the whole issue of what is allowed to go in which can or bin, which is anything you cant get money for or find someone who will hall it away for free.

I am very very sure that volunteers will soon show up wishing to "return to the great nutrient cycle"

but there is nothing to worry about as I am positive that everything will be tested and cynicly proven to be safe for human consumption

Honestly at this point I think the way to go may be to stop using plastics where they're not absolutely required, and to subsequently burn what goes into landfill while producing electricity and reclaiming heat. Better that than this.

And here I thought we were going to be fed insects when we hit final-stage capitalism