Biodegradable is an environmental buzzword if ever there was one. In this age of renewed interest in green living, sustainability, and zero-waste lifestyles, it is one of the most common indicators that a product is “OK to use,” but is it really? What does the word biodegradable really mean, anyway? And for that matter, does labeling a product as biodegradable mean anything at all in terms of green living?
Biodegradable has a simple definition. It means that an item can be disintegrated into its base elements by microorganisms and the passage of time. This biological process of biodegradation breaks materials down into their various component parts and returns them to nature. Many things can be considered biodegradable, even non “organic” things like plastics. However, the process of breaking down non-organic materials or chemically-crafted materials has its own set of problems.
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Other Sources
Andrew Krosofsky. “What Does Biodegradable Mean?” Green Matters. https://www.greenmatters.com/p/what-does-biodegradable-mean. Accessed October 25, 2024.
