Biodegradation is the chemical dissolution of materials by bacteria, fungi, or other biological means. Although often conflated, biodegradable is distinct in meaning from compostable.
A biodegradable product can dissolve easily in the environment without destroying nature. It s the opposite of plastic and Styrofoam, which harm the environment. If everything was biodegradable, our world would be extremely clean! Unfortunately, products that are biodegradable are not used worldwide yet. Capable of being broken down (decomposed) rapidly by the action of microorganisms. Biodegradable substances include food scraps, cotton, wool, wood, human and animal waste, manufactured products based on natural materials (such as paper, and vegetable-oil based soaps). See also degradable and photodegradable. They will not take a long time to decompose and there will be less waste. 10 people found this helpful. Using biodegradable packaging will be much better for the environment and people that like to go green may switch to your product. Degradation caused by enzymatic process resulting from the action of cells. Note: Modified to exclude abiotic enzymatic processes. Biodegradation is the chemical dissolution of materials by bacteria, fungi, or other biological means. Although often conflated, biodegradable is distinct in meaning from compostable. While biodegradable simply means to be consumed by microorganism, compostable makes the specific demand that the object break down under composting conditions. Biodegradable technology is especially utilized by the bio-medical community. Biodegradable polymers are classified into three groups: medical, ecological, and dual application, while in terms of origin they are divided into two groups: natural and synthetic. Of course, just because a product or ingredient is biodegradable does not mean it is healthy or safe for people or the environment. For example, the toxic pesticide DDT biodegrades to the compounds DDD and DDE, both of which are more toxic and more dangerous than the original DDT itself.  These cups are biodegradable so they are good for the environment. They will not take a long time to decompose and there will be less waste. 10 people found this helpful. Using biodegradable packaging will be much better for the environment and people that like to go green may switch to your product. Biodegradable refers to the ability of materials to break down and return to nature. In order for packaging products or materials to qualify as biodegradable, they must completely break down and decompose into natural elements within a short time after disposal-typically a year or less.  Confidence votes 17.5K. It means that the substance or object is able to be broken down by a biological agent such as bacteria so that the carbon in the substance can be used in living organisms. When something degrades, in general, it means that it breaks down into smaller pieces. What makes biodegrading different is the relationship it has with living things. Organic matter is made up of carbon atoms, and carbon atoms are very useful to living things. Living things use it to make energy, and it is involved in a lot of processes that go on in living cells. So, cells like carbon atoms. Medical Definition of BIODEGRADABLE. : capable of being broken down especially into innocuous products by the action of living things (as microorganisms). — bio·de·grad·abil·i·ty \-ˌgrād-ə-ˈbil-ət-ē\ noun, plural bio·de·grad·abil·i·ties. — bio·deg·ra·da·tion \-ˌdeg-rə-ˈdā-shən\ noun.  Most of us would like to believe that if a product is biodegradable, it quickly breaks down in the environment to harmless components. Unfortunately, by itself the term means whatever the manufacturer wants it to mean. If the label does not define biodegradable, then it is undefined, which is a diplomatic way of saying the term is meaningless. That's the birds-eye view of the problem. It doesn't get better on closer inspection.
http://odec.ca/projects/2003/ghous3m/public_html/explanation.htm http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/biodegradable.html https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biodegradation http://environment.about.com/od/earthtalkcolumns/a/biodegradable.htm http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/biodegradable.html http://www.hpcorporategroup.com/the-difference-between-biodegradable-and-compostable-packaging-materials.html http://www.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_meaning_of_biodegradable http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/biodegradable http://santafegreenline.ning.com/profiles/blogs/what-does-biodegradable-mean
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