What is the difference between Degradable Plastics and Biodegradable Plastics?
Degradable Plastic is an oil based plastic containing a chemical additive that undergoes significant change in its chemical structure causing large polymer molecules to break down into smaller molecules or particles. Biodegradable Plastic is a degradable plastic in which the degradation results from the action of naturally occurring microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi, and/or algae. There are two primary differences between degradable and biodegradable. Firstly, heat, moisture and/or UV exposure most often causes the degradation of a degradable product, whereas microorgganisms degrade a biodegradable product. Secondly, degradable products tend to take much longer to break down into carbon dioxide, biomass and water. When degradable plastics break down into smaller molecules, eventually they will be small enough to be consumed by microorganisms and so biodegradation occurs. In essence then, all degradable films will eventually biodegrade but at different speeds.
