ABDUL ADAMU SANI WUDIL What is biodegradable?
is defines biodegradable as those materials with the capacity to decompose under natural conditions.
American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), the leader in setting international standards, states that biodegradable is a degradation of a material, brought about by a biological activity, particularly enzymatic action, which can lead to chemical structural changes.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), another US government agency created to protect consumers and pursue law enforcement, has created guidelines on what legitimately qualifies as biodegradable being materials that after breaking down and decomposing with exposure to air, moisture and bacteria, they will become elements found in nature.
Since the FTC will take actions to prohibit and eliminate unfair and deceptive practices, their definition is the one that manufacturers must worry about if marketing a “biodegradable” product.
Biodegradable Materials
Examples of biodegradable materials include fruits, vegetables, leaves, paper, seeds, and many others.
Plastics are generally non-biodegradable. The exception is bioplastics. These plastics are made from organic materials such as cornstarch and tapioca. Hence, when exposed to decomposing agents, they can biodegrade.
Most people believe that biodegradable is synonymous to compostable. However, this is not the case. Compostable is more earth-friendly than biodegradable. In the case of plastics, the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) said that compostable plastics must be able to break down with the same rate as paper. Its end products would be water, carbon dioxide and biomass.
@2@biodegradable in ather hand are
Capable of being broken down (decomposed) rapidly by the actionof microorganisms. Biodegradable substances include food scraps, cotton, wool, wood, human and animal waste, manufactured productsbased on natural materials(such as paper, and vegetable-oil based soaps). See also degradableand photodegradable.
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Abdul adamu sani wudil
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