Abstract:
The problem of plastic prevalence and associated pollution has grasped the entire planet
drastically, putting all fields of science on the stake seeking remedies to this global havoc. To
address this crisis, with a single remediation strategy is often found to be baseless, thereby much
interest has been evoked in the development of multidisciplinary approaches – involving physicochemical
and biological strategies to nullify the aftermath of plastic pollution in all possible
means. Even amidst, the availability of different approaches, the use of biological methods to
combat plastic degradation has gained momentum. The most frequently used plastics appear in
wide forms such as polyethylene plastic bags, polypropylene-based bottles, polyvinyl chloride
pipes and polystyrene styrene cups. Plastic nicknamed as one of the toughest polymers viz.
polycarbonate, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) and Polydicyclopentadiene; quite often are
called so as they resist degradation in normal environmental strategies. They are often degraded
in non-hostile and harsh environments of pH, temperature, radiation etc. However, not always it is
possible to create such harsh environments for plastic degradation. In such a scenario, the use of
gut microbes that can withstand the harsh atmosphere of gut environment could serve as
promising candidates for plastic biodegradation. The current article envisages the various gut
microbes of various biological agents and their role in plastic remediation. The current review
compiles the techniques available for plastic remediation, the microbial prospects of plastic
remediation, its challenges, and possible breakthroughs to effective plastic remediation.
