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RE: Why does it take so long for plastic to decompose when throw into nature?
Genetically speaking, the bacteria have a hard time adapting their processes of digestion not only because of the relatively short time frame for which plastics have existed, but also because they are very complex on a molecular level. Take for instance, methane, a common waste product of bacteria. A single molecule of methane has one molecule of carbon and four molecules of hydrogen. In contrast, some polymers have 30+ molecules of carbon, hydrogen, and/or oxygen.from this point of view, its easy to see why the bacteria have a hard time making the switch.
Thank you for commenting with additional information! This makes a lot of sense, and I'm sure developing the ability to break down complex molecules takes more time than evolving into being able to break down smaller molecules.