Introduction
Our daily consumption and the resulting waste materials can be either biodegradable or non-biodegradable. What are biodegradable wastes? Biodegradable waste material is that which can be degraded and recycled in nature for sustaining life. It, therefore, does not pile up and gets decomposed in soil. These things are available or produced in nature. Examples of biodegradable materials are domestic wastes like leftover food, waste food materials from vegetables and fruits, wood, leather, etc. What are non-biodegradable wastes? A non-biodegradable material is that which does not decompose and piles up on land or in the sea. The resulting pile of waste material can lead to pollution and affect nature. These materials are usually synthetically made. Examples of non-biodegradable materials are plastic, toxic chemicals, glass, and metal items (note: metals are found in nature in ore forms; the factory-made solid form is non-biodegradable.).
People produce a big amount of waste daily. The waste items include empty cartons, kitchen waste, and so many expandable substances like juice cans, plastic bags, surgical dressings, etc. Many of these substances like fruit and vegetable peels that can be easily broken down by the activity of decomposers and bacteria are known as biodegradable substances. Other substances, like plastic, metallic cans, medical waste, batteries, and pesticides, which cannot be broken down easily by biological processes, are called non-biodegradable substances.
Let us learn about biodegradable waste first. Biodegradable substances can be defined as materials that can be decomposed by microorganisms or decomposers and not be added to any type of pollution. These substances can be degraded by natural factors like bacteria, abiotic elements like temperature, etc. The whole process is natural, which can be slow and rapid depending on the object. Therefore, the environmental risks in issues caused by biodegradable waste are low.
Some biodegradable wastes are paper waste, dead plants, wood, etc. Waste that cannot be decomposed by biological ways is called non-biodegradable waste. Most of the inorganic wastes, like aluminum cans and glasses, are non-biodegradable wastes. These can be classified into recyclable and non-recyclable wastes.
FAQs on Biodegradable and Non-Biodegradable Substances
1. What is the difference between biodegradable and non-biodegradable materials?
We use a lot of materials on a daily basis, some of the materials directly produce waste materials; whereas, some waste materials are produced as a result of wear and tear of the household, industrial and other commodities. The waste materials that are a result of food waste like vegetables, fruit, etc. waste are biodegradable materials. Other materials from domestic waste can be either biodegradable or non-biodegradable. Things like paper, wood, cloth made up of natural fiber are biodegradable. Things like polythene bags, razors, etc. are non-biodegradable. The best way to differentiate between the two is by understanding how the degradation process works; degradable items are affected by microbial action of decomposition; whereas, non-degradable materials are not.
2. How to reduce non-biodegradable material deposition?
The non-biodegradable materials do not get disintegrated by microbial actions. Their deposition in soil, burning them, or throwing them in the sea or river can have hazardous effects on the environment. Therefore, the best way to reduce their deposition is by recycling them from landfills and sea depositions. We can also repurpose them; i.e., without making them go through any chemical or physical procedures. Alternative arrangements like not throwing non-biodegradable materials in the waste and using cloth carry bags can be useful.
3. How can I know what is biodegradable waste?
Paper is one of the best examples for knowing the process of biodegradable waste. When you throw lots of paper in an abandoned place, where there is soil and grass, and then you go and see the same place, after some time, you will not be able to find the papers that you threw weeks ago. As a result, you find mud or soil. Paper is biodegradable waste. This process of the soil absorbing the waste is called decomposing.
4. How to make notes on the topic of biodegradable and non-biodegradable substances?
The student can sort out the biodegradable and non-biodegradable substances by noting them on paper and mentioning their means and ways. Then, by tabulating a neat presentation of biodegradable and non-biodegradable substances, the students can divide the biodegradable and non-biodegradable substances. Each section of the table can be used as a way to note down the specific characteristics of biodegradable and non-biodegradable substances. These notes can be found on our website for the students to get a better picture of this topic.
5. What is the use of differentiating biodegradable and non-biodegradable substances?
The method of differentiating biodegradable and non-biodegradable substances is very crucial for sustaining our environment and the whole Earth. When these two substances are mixed, it causes innumerable damages to our land, water, air, and, ultimately, our health. When the harmful chemicals of non-biodegradable substances are absorbed in our Earth’s soil, it gives rise to slow poisoning and affects our environment in a bad way. When non-biodegradable substances are separated from the biodegradable ones, they can be recycled or reused to lessen its impact on the environment and keep the air quality fresh.
6. What are the harmful effects of non-biodegradable substances on the environment?
Non-biodegradable substances generate lots of harmful gases and chemicals after a period of time, which affects plant life and animal wildlife in a very negative way. These substances take millions of years to decompose and act as a barrier to the healthy decomposition of natural elements found in nature. Some of the non-biodegradable substances are plastics and synthetic fibers, such as nylon, polyester, battery, glass, etc. They are mostly used due to their convenience instead of their biodegradable counterparts. Due to its slow decomposition, it causes tremendous disturbance in the balance of the ecosystem.
7. What are the biodegradable substances useful for?
The biodegradable substances are nature-friendly. They help the environment in various ways. They get decomposed quite easily by natural sources, such as fire, water, earth, and air, and are beneficial to the balance of the ecosystem. By this effective process of breaking down its structure in a microorganism, biodegradable substances are prone to cost-effective and healthy alternative usage. Some of the biodegradable substances are food, plants, animals, paper, wood, vegetables, and fruits, etc. These substances are easy to recycle, have less impact on the environment, and help in sustaining the natural cycle of the ecosystem.
