Dive Brief:

• Toronto, Canada has discovered two different species of bees are using discarded trash to form their hives. 
• Over 200 hives are made from post-consumer plastics. The bees appear to favor plastic shopping bags.
• The bees have replaced approximately 23% of the natural materials usually used to form hives with polyurethane. 

Dive Insight:

It is reported by an ecologist, Scott MacIvor, that the bees have been able to produce viable offspring. According to Recycling International, MacIvor says "Although perhaps incidentally collected, the novel use of plastics in the nests of bees could reflect ecologically adaptive traits necessary for survival in an increasingly human-dominated environment."

Many areas across the country are considering, or have passed, a ban on plastic bags. Pair this with reports of a dwindling bee population, and this may become a viable solution to both issues.