Biodegradability: examples of biodegradable products

Biodegradation is the ability of some substances to decompose into other chemical components in a short period and reintegrate into the earth, with the appropriate environmental conditions. It is a concept closely related to ecology, because it has biodegradation, the ability to reuse substances.

There are two easily differentiable types of degradation :

1. Aerobic degradation: this is what is done in contact with oxygen.
2. Anaerobic degradation: in this case the process is carried out in the absence of oxygen.

In summary, the concept of biodegradability rests on the solid basis that any substance that decomposes naturally is less harmful to the environment than any other type of substance. On the contrary, we find non-biodegradable products, which do not decompose and are a risk to the environment (glass, plastics, etc.). Awareness of this concept is of utmost importance to highlight recycling.

Next, we are going to present a series of examples about the degradation times of some materials, it will not only be an enlightening list of data, it will also show us the importance of biodegradability:

• A chewing gum: it will not be the first or the last time that we throw a gum on the ground, its degradation time can last up to 5 years. If we think about how many gum are thrown on the ground each day, the issue can become worrying.
• Lighters: steel and plastic can take up to a century to disappear.
• Aerosols: the metal structure takes up to 30 years to remove.
• Plastic bags: the great headache that has been trying to solve for a few years, 150 years are the necessary to eliminate them.
• Batteries: many times we find batteries on the ground, in addition to being highly polluting, their degradation capacity is almost nil.
• Butts: Another very common element that is thrown on the ground or in the field can take up to 2 years to disappear. This list makes us think about the importance of recycling, and how valuable biodegradable products are.

The difference between both types of products is abysmal, the final impact on nature is the value by which we must measure them. To better understand the importance of biodegradable products, let’s talk about the consequences of non-biodegradable products.

Products that are not capable of biodegradation through air, oxygen, water, etc., are a potential danger to nature. Not only because they take hundreds of years to disappear, but the degrading effect of substances such as water make these products release toxic and highly polluting substances for the environment; A simple can can take up to more than 300 years to fully degrade or a simple cigarette butt more than 10 years, these are examples to realize the danger of these products.

Knowing the problems of non-biodegradable products, it is much easier to understand the benefits of biodegradable products. First of all, it is a relatively short space of time they tend to break down into useful substances. These can be reused to create new products or simply reintegrate into nature, without any negative effect.

Some examples of biodegradable products are:

• Paper : its main component is cellulose, which decomposes over time and in contact with fungi, moisture and bacteria. How quickly you do it will depend on the conditions you are in, but outdoors it tends to degrade in 2 to 5 months.
• Wood : all woods are biodegradable, however, depending on their type, it can be done in a few months or in many years.
• Leather : it is still animal skin, so under normal conditions it degrades very quickly. However, if it goes through a tanning process it can take between 20 years and several centuries.
• Excrement : whether human or animal, feces take very little time to degrade and reintegrate into nature.
• Vegetables and fruits : being of biological origin, it takes a very short time to degrade.
• Wool : it is another product of animal origin that, being biological, is also biodegradable. Depending on its care, it can be lengthened for longer, but if not, it degrades easily.
• Meat : all types of meat, from any animal, are easily degraded by the action of microorganisms that disintegrate their tissues.

Surely at some point you will have noticed that some products carry the quote “biodegradable product” , with this we have the assurance that we have an ecological biodegradable product and that its waste will be used to reuse and become a new product.

It is not necessary to go far to look for biodegradable products, the things that we use every day have that ability: laundry soap, garbage bags, diapers, toilet paper, boxes, etc. all these products, possibly, have the quality of being biodegradable. They can be made of paper, wood, leather, wool etc.

We practically move between biodegradable products, which shows that a great effort has been made to try to develop products with environmentally friendly characteristics. Notable bioplá sticos replacing efficiently common plastic, are naturally occurring polymers that are degraded by microorganisms, fungi, etc., being a good choice to replace the plastic element nonbiodegradable par excellence. Used in medicine, for prosthetics, sutures, also in disposable containers, and in biodegradable bags.

The increase in environmental awareness by a large part of the world’s population has made concepts seem as important as biodegradable products. This in turn has been creating business models that have helped to produce products with biodegradable materials: manufacture of biodegradable bags, footwear, cleaning products, etc …

Respect for the environment is becoming a capital value for people, consuming quality products that are respectful with the environment. In this way, biodegradable products are present on a daily basis as part of our life.

If you want to read more articles similar to Biodegradability: examples of biodegradable products , we recommend that you enter our Recycling and waste management category .