20 Examples of Biodegradable - encyclopedia

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Advantages of biodegradable products
Promotion of biodegradable products
Examples of biodegradable materials

Adjective biodegradable qualify those materials, natural or synthetic, which are broken down by common biological agents, usually to become simple molecules compatible with life, such as water and carbon dioxide.

This means that they are biodegradable materials all those that can be destroyed by microorganisms such as insects, bacteria or fungi.

Advantages of biodegradable products

That a product of daily use is biodegradable is considered highly positive for the conservation of the environment, because when decomposing or degrading it recycle numerous nutrients.

At the same time, the product does not accumulate as such and that decreases the probability that it will become a persistent garbage source, as is the case with plastic bottles or nylon bags, for example, which are often seen in some rivers and lakes.

These not only spoil the landscape but upset the ecological balance from natural areas and can become a threat to birds or fish.

On some occasions, however, intermediate degradation products are still toxic, sometimes even more toxic than the original molecule. This happens, for example, with some pesticides that are used to control agricultural pests.

There is a huge effort right now in develop biodegradable materials to replace those that are not, and consumers can greatly contribute in that regard through our everyday choices.

Promotion of biodegradable products

More and more businesses are delivering their merchandise to the customer wrapped in paper and non-plastic bags, since paper is considered biodegradable and traditional plastic is not.

However, in recent decades some biodegradable plastics that are made from corn or wheat starch; These are used, for example, for waste bags.

It is believed that the degradation of these plastics would require a span of six to twenty-four months, which is much less than with traditional plastic derived from oil.

There is also a material made with rye starch, presented as a granulated substance, used to make dishes. It is expected that these dishes, which are completely biodegradable, will tend to replace the disposable plastics that are used today (which are made with petroleum products) on the market.

The automotive industry has also been making serious efforts to develop biodegradable materials to replace non-biodegradable ones. Fillers for interior doors of automobiles already exist in some countries flax fiber, and bumpers made of vegetal fibers reinforced with biodegradable resin.

Also, plastics made from rye or compressed fibers.