People around the world generated more than 350 million tons of plastic waste in 2019 and very little of it was recycled. When plastic waste ends up in landfills and the ocean, it can harm the environment and human health. A new technology—biorecycling—may help address this problem. It uses microbes, such as bacteria or fungi, to recycle plastics. This Science & Tech Spotlight discusses how biorecycling could benefit both the environment and the economy, and lays out the challenges that lie ahead. For example, biorecycling could turn plastic waste into more useful products but is currently limited to certain types of plastic and can be costly.