Microbial communities resistant to various unfavorable environmental conditions can have many unique characteristics. The ability to decompose plastic is increasingly mentioned among such characteristics. It was found that when plastic is being decomposed, dissolved organic carbon is released, stimulating the activity of heterotrophic microorganisms. Adaptation to new carbon sources can create new microbial characteristics, especially those related to producing active enzymes. Microorganisms that produce enzymes adapted to specific unfavorable environmental conditions can offer numerous opportunities for biotechnological explorations including for elaboration of new technologies for degradation of non-recyclable plastic waste. Among the prominent microbial agents used for biodegradation there are the representatives of the following genera: Pseudomonas, Streptomyces, Corynebacterium, Arthrobacter, Micrococcus and Rhodococcus, Subtercola, Adreia, Leifsonia, Cryobacterium and Flavobacterium. The abundance of microorganisms in ecosystems reaches up to hundreds of millions and billions of cells in a gram of sediment or soil. Moreover, it is assumed that any surface in polluted environments is colonized by microorganisms. Bacterial colonization of plastic begins almost immediately. The purpose of this work was to study the role of soil microorganisms and plants with phytoremediation potential in the degradation of non-recyclable plastic. It was found that under the laboratory conditions the microorganisms from soils characterized as rich in biodiversity could use the low-density polyethylene as a source of carbon and/or energy. There also were identified plants that could grow more actively in the presence of polyethylene in soil. The identified microorganisms and plants were recommended for further research aimed at elaboration of new biotechnologies for degradation of non-recyclable plastic waste.