What is the difference between photo degradation and bio degradation?
Photo degradation refers to the action of ultraviolet radiation and solar heat on plastic. In the absence of special additives (many plastics contain UV filters specifically designed to resist this natural process), the plastic weakens and breaks into pieces. This is a physical change, not a chemical one. Bio degradation occurs when living organisms transform the chemical bonds of the plastic. In current scientific understanding, biodegradation plays a very limited role in the environmental fate of plastics. While there have been preliminary, isolated reports of specific terrestrial microorganisms that can “digest” certain types of plastic, in general….plastic is NOT “digestible”.
