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The first known use of biodegradable in a biological context was in 1959 when it was employed to describe the breakdown of material into innocuous components by microorganisms. [57] Now biodegradable is commonly associated with environmentally friendly products that are part of the earth's innate cycles like the carbon cycle and capable of ...
Biodegradable waste when not handled properly can have an outsized impact on climate change, especially through methane emissions from anaerobic fermentation that produces landfill gas. Other approaches to reducing the impact include reducing the amount of waste produced, such as through reducing food waste .
In typical parlance, the word biodegradable is distinct in meaning from compostable.While biodegradable simply means an object is capable of being decomposed by bacteria or other living organisms, "compostable" in the plastic industry is defined as able to decompose in aerobic environments that are maintained under specific controlled temperature and humidity conditions.
By definition, biodegradable materials are formed or organic compounds which can thus be broken down by living organisms, such as bacteria, fungi, or water molds, and reabsorbed by the natural environment. [13] Whether a material is biodegradable is determined by its chemical structure, not the origin of the material from which it is made. [14]
Biodegradable plastics are commonly used for disposable items, such as packaging, cutlery, and food service containers. [13] In principle, biodegradable plastics could replace many applications for conventional plastics. However, this entails a number of challenges. Many biodegradable plastics are designed to degrade in industrial composting ...
Biodegradable bags still strong enough to carry shopping after three years in the ground show that 'biodegradability' isn't all it's cracked up to be.
Biodegradable polymers are of great interest in the field of drug delivery and nanomedicine. The great benefit of a biodegradable drug delivery system is the ability of the drug carrier to target the release of its payload to a specific site in the body and then degrade into nontoxic materials that are then eliminated from the body via natural ...
Boxed products made from bioplastics and other biodegradable plastics. Few commercial applications exist for bioplastics. Cost and performance remain problematic. Typical is the example of Italy, where biodegradable plastic bags are compulsory for shoppers since 2011 with the introduction of a specific law. [16]