There are an estimated 14 mn metric tons of microplastics sitting on the ocean floor, and more than 35 times more floating on the ocean surface, CNN reports, citing a new study from Australia’s national science agency CSIRO. Microplastics form when plastic thrown into the ocean deteriorates and sinks to the floor, affecting deep ocean wildlife. Plastic pollution looks to only get worse, with an estimated 710 mn metric tons of plastic expected to pollute the environment by 2040, according to a study published in Science Magazine.

The solution (or at least part of it) … worms: Mealworms are able to digest and break down certain types of plastic components such as polystyrene and polyethylene while wax worms can degrade wax, according to Anja Brandon, a researcher at Stanford University. Mealworms get energy from breaking down the plastic components and eject the remaining chemicals, making them further useful in the feed industry where they are eaten by pigs and livestock. Brandon is trying to isolate the bacteria in mealworms’ stomachs that degrade plastics to scale them into bioreactors that can be used industrially, she explains in CNN’s Call to Earth (watch: runtime: 03:02).