So there’s usually, after a while, bacteria develop that can consume stuff. Plastic currently stays just because the bacteria consuming it haven’t developed yet.
But there was one exception. Early trees. Nothing could consume those. Dead trees just piled up and turned into coal. After millions of years, bacteria that can consume dead trees developed, but they still couldn’t consume the coal.
But way later, another species developed, one that digs out the coal and consumes it by burning it.
If we look at it this way, the only “unnatural” thing here is those trees that resisted consumption for so long.
So there’s usually, after a while, bacteria develop that can consume stuff. Plastic currently stays just because the bacteria consuming it haven’t developed yet.
But there was one exception. Early trees. Nothing could consume those. Dead trees just piled up and turned into coal. After millions of years, bacteria that can consume dead trees developed, but they still couldn’t consume the coal.
But way later, another species developed, one that digs out the coal and consumes it by burning it.
If we look at it this way, the only “unnatural” thing here is those trees that resisted consumption for so long.
There actually are multiple bacteria which can eat PET plastic now. The ocean is lousy with them because that’s where we put all the plastic. :)