Biological Degradation
Biodegradable plastics can be biologically degraded by microorganisms to give lower molecular weight molecules. To degrade properly biodegradable polymers need to be treated like compost and not just left in a landfill site where degradation is very difficult due to the lack of oxygen and moisture.
Read more about this topic: Polymer Degradation
Famous quotes containing the words biological and/or degradation:
“Although there is no universal agreement as to a definition of life, its biological manifestations are generally considered to be organization, metabolism, growth, irritability, adaptation, and reproduction.”
—The Columbia Encyclopedia, Fifth Edition, the first sentence of the article on “life” (based on wording in the First Edition, 1935)
“I suppose one has a greater sense of intellectual degradation after an interview with a doctor than from any human experience.”
—Alice James (1848–1892)