Something that is biodegradable is able to be broken down into innocuous pieces by natural biological processes. Biodegradable substances are usually natural, plant- or animal-based material, or other material that is similar enough to plant or animal matter to be broken down by the enzymes produced by living organisms.
Once a substance has been degraded, it becomes soil; the most efficient method of biodegradation is a hot compost heap, where temperature speeds up the aerobic activity of microorganisms. In a landfill, biodegradation is anaerobic, and produces byproducts including biogas and lignin and cellulosic fibers.
Biodegration claims
While the European Union has standards for biodegradation; something must break down into mostly carbon dioxide, water and organic matter within six months; there is no similar standard in the United States. Items which are labeled as "biodegradable" might degrade in months or hundreds of years; and may degrade into organic matter or into toxins. In fact, the American Society for Testing and Materials has a slightly different definition of "biodegradable" from the dictionary definition; it says biodegradation is "a degradation caused by biological activity, especially by enzymatic action, leading to a significant change in the chemical structure of the material." In other words, the parts must not be innocuous, but could in fact be quite harmful.
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