Plastic Bag Waste in the Oceans Can simple wax worms cause the decomposition of polyethylene? Over three trillion single-use plastic bags are produced every year. Many of them find their way into our oceans. A large majority of these bags are made of polyethylene (PE). Polyethylene is a strong plastic that takes decades to break down. But it may be that the lowly wax worm can offer a solution to this massive