Is lacquer biodegradable? It’s made from natural materials but will it easily break down?
Lacquer is not just one thing. There are many different types. Some lacquer is made from compounds found in Lac insects (shellac), or from the resin of trees, but much of the lacquer available today is synthetic. The natural lacquers are easily damaged by UV light. They are also considered edible and have been used to coat pills, so these are certainly biodegradable. Many of the earlier synthetic lacquers such as those used in automotive paints are produced from cotton or other cellulose materials. Most automotive lacquers, many of which were acrylic as well as nitrocellulosic, have been replaced by polyurethanes. The acrylic lacquers are not readily biodegradable and may take decades or longer to break down, depending on conditions.
