American Association for the Advancement of Science
A report by a team of Japanese scientists, published in the American Association for the Advancement of Science journal "Science", has identified bacteria -- isolated from outside a bottle recycling facility -- that can break down and metabolize plastic. The microbe appears to have evolved a pair of enzymes it uses to break down polyethylene terephthalate or PET, the most common thermoplastic polymer resin in consumer products.
Sources: LiveScience'' via CBS News Science The Washington Post