biodegradable
adjective
Ruth Lampi
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In biodegradable, with its root grad, "to step or move", and its prefix de- "downward", we get an adjective describing things that can be broken down into basic substances through normal environmental processes. Animal and plant products are normally biodegradable, but mineral substances such as metals, glass, and plastics usually are not. Newly developed biodegradable plastics are now appearing in numerous products. However, "biodegradable" products can vary greatly in how long they take to break down. A loaf of bread may require only a couple of weeks, and a piece of paper may vanish in a couple of months, but some "biodegradable" plastic milk cartons may take four or five years.
Examples of biodegradable in a Sentence
Bestreviews, Mercury News, 1 Apr. 2025
Such particles have a reputation for being very sticky, and in this case are made of chitosan, which is a biodegradable biopolymer derived from seafood-industry shellfish waste.
—Ben Coxworth, New Atlas, 28 Mar. 2025
This gloss treatment gets extra points for sustainability because its formula and packaging are composed of 95% biodegradable ingredients.
—Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 28 Mar. 2025
Many participants go on to launch cooperatives producing beautiful handwoven rugs and baskets and contribute to the High Atlas Foundation’s sustainable agriculture initiatives by sewing biodegradable tree sacks.
—Jane Hanson, Forbes.com, 27 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for biodegradable
Cite this Entry
“Biodegradable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/biodegradable. Accessed 12 Apr. 2025.
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biodegradable
adjective
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biodegradable
adjective
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