Ritu Ningthoujam, Avnish Nitin Mistry, Luthfia Dwi Rachmani, Saowaluk Krainara, Onruthai Pinyakong, Wanchai Assavalapsakul, Somrudee Meprasert Jitpraphai, Kitipong Angsujinda, Ekawan Luepromchai
Bacterial consortia, with broad metabolism and environmental resilience, show promise for bioaugmentation treatment of plastic wastes. Consortia design principles and plastic degradation enhancements in laboratory and simulated-system studies were reviewed. Practical barriers include narrow polymer scope, long treatment duration, limited scalability, ecological risks, and scarce techno-economic assessments. Bioaugmentation can be realized through the development of bacterial formulations, the integration of pretreatment–bioaugmentation workflows, and the implementation of long-term field trials.