Abstract

Plastics are versatile materials that have the potential to propel humanity to- wards circularity and ultimate societal sustainability. However, the escalating concern surrounding plastic pollution has garnered significant attention, lead- ing to widespread negative perceptions of these materials. Here, we question the role microbes may play in plastic pollution bioremediation by (i) defining polymer biodegradability (i.e., recalcitrant, hydrolysable and biodegradable polymers) and (ii) reviewing best practices for evaluating microbial biodegra- dation of plastics. We establish recommendations to facilitate the implemen- tation of rigorous methodologies in future studies on plastic biodegradation, aiming to push this field towards the use of isotopic labelling to confirm plastic biodegradation and further determine the molecular mechanisms involved.