What is the difference between biodegradable and non-biodegradable?

Answer 1

Biodegradable waste is waste that can break down into natural components and be recycled into the life cycle naturally...examples are old vegtables / food, paper, cardboard, deceased animals, and phyto plastics( special plastics that break down when exposed to the sun after some time) etc.

Non biodegradable waste is waste that does not break down into natural components and exists in the environment for a long time. Examples would be tyres, plastics, elctronic components, metals etc.

Answer 2

Biodegradable wastes decompose into soil.

• Kitchen food scraps
• Garden waste
• Paper and egg shells
• Human and animal waste
• cardboard boxes

Non-biodegradable wastes take a long time or never to decompose.

• metal cans
• bottles
• toxic chemicals
• plastic products
• metal scraps

A:In general, differences are based on whether or not the action of "a biological agent" can cause the waste in question to be "degraded" to some acceptable level. A:Biodegradable means that natural processes can break down the material into their natural components. Whereas, non-biodegradable materials would not be affected by natural processes that would break the material down. Plastic usually is non-biodegradable, because their are very few natural processes that could break the plastic down into smaller elements, whereas something like wood, will rot and decay and be recycled back into the soil. A:Biodegradable implies that the material will be destroyed/dissembled by biological and/or natural elements. Nitric Acid rain manufactured in thunderstorms, Oxygen in the air, ultraviolet light in sunlight, and all kinds of microscopic "critters" in the atmosphere and soil which "chomp"on all kinds of materials [including some petroleum products]. A:Non-biodegradable implies that the material is totally immune from attack by any biological/natural elements and therefore, will exist forever in essentially the same form for ever.
Something that is biodegradable can be decomposed by living organisms such as bacteria. Items that are non-biodegradable cannot be decomposed by living things.

Answer 3

The difference between biodegradeable and non biodegradeable is that biodegradeable means it will either evaporate or decompose.Non biodegradeable means it will NOT

Answer 4

Biodegradable breaks down in the environment and is harmless. Non does not.