What are examples of biodegradable waste? (9 examples) 

The article will discuss examples of biodegradable waste. Other details covered would include:

• What is biodegradable waste?
• Is biodegradable waste better than non-biodegradable waste?
• Can biodegradable waste be composted?
• Can biodegradable waste be recycled and repurposed?

What are examples of biodegradable waste? 

Examples of biodegradable waste include food waste, animal waste, plant waste, natural fibres et cetera. 

As a general rule of thumb, biodegradable substances contribute less to environmental problems since they are more likely to be natural, organic, compostable, and easily recycled. 

As regards disposal, the best option for biodegradable substances is composting (if they can be) while the best option for non-biodegradable substances is recycling as this prevents the negative effects of the said substances on the environment. 

What is biodegradable waste?

Biodegradable waste is materials that can be broken down into simpler materials by the action of microbes. This leads to negation in waste accumulation and generation. 

When it comes to biodegradation, there are some general rules of thumb. One of them is that natural materials (specifically organic) are more prone to biodegradation because they offer the necessary nutrients that the microbes can ingest as food. 

As the name implies, biodegradation can be understood by delving into two major terminologies. One is ‘bio’ and the other is ‘degradation’. As you can guess, biodegradation is the breakdown of materials by the action of microbes such as bacteria, fungi, decomposers et cetera. 

But, the microbes do require something in return and that is their food in the form of nutritional contents. This is the primary factor that discerns biodegradable material from non-biodegradable material. 

What are some examples of biodegradable waste? (9 examples) 

Let us also explore some of the examples of biodegradable waste to further clarify our understanding of what biodegradable materials are. Some of the common examples of biodegradable waste include:

• Food waste 
• Animal waste 
• Plant waste 
• Manure 
• Agricultural waste 
• Natural fibres like cotton or silk 
• Fruits 
• Vegetables 
• Waste from slaughterhouse 

As you can assess, most examples of biodegradable waste are the everyday objects and materials that we possess and normally use. 

Can biodegradable waste be composted?

Although the exact answer to this can not be given unless the substance (to be composted) is scrutinised, there is a general understanding that biodegradable waste is more likely to be composted as compared to non-biodegradable waste. 

The major reason behind this is that composting can only be done on the waste that has a good amount of organic content in them. Now, if we determine the case of biodegradable materials, we can recall that most biodegradable materials are made from natural materials, and therefore, the chance of organic content in biodegradable materials is higher as compared to non-biodegradable materials. 

Composted can be done through the following steps: 

• Select a suitable place for composting. It should be spacy and accessible enough
• Make your compost pile. Add all the compostable material such as  bagasse, paper et cetera
• Be sure to make a good amount of heap. Depends on both brown and green matter. These will act as a source of carbon and nitrogen. 
• Be sure to continuously mix the heap and provide the necessary external conditions such as shade and temperature. 
• Wait until the composting process is complete. 
• Once it is complete, utilise the compost well so that your garden may be benefitted well 

Can biodegradable waste be recycled and repurposed?

When it comes to recycling and reusing, both biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste can be recycled. There is not much of a discrepancy here. However, the effectiveness and feasibility of recycling will vary. 

However, owing to the increased risk and environmental impacts associated, it can be argued that recycling biodegradable waste may be easier than non-biodegradable waste. However, the finality of the stance will be dependent upon the product or material under scrutiny. 

Here are the steps that you can take to have your biodegradable waste recycled:

• First, ensure that the waste can not be reused or repurposed in any way. 
• If not, you can easily compost your biodegradable waste (if it is organic and non-toxic) 
• If not, you can consider recycling your biodegradable waste. For this, you may either dump the waste in recycling bins. 
• Or, you can drop off the waste in nearby recycling centres. You may also have a pickup scheduled to have your biodegradable waste collected by the authorities 

Conclusion 

It is concluded that biodegradable substances can degrade by the action of microbes (readily) whereas, non-biodegradable substances will not degrade by the action of microbes. 

As a general rule of thumb, biodegradable substances contribute less to environmental problems since they are more likely to be natural, organic, compostable, and easily recycled. 

As regards disposal, the best option for biodegradable substances is composting (if they can be) while the best option for non-biodegradable substances is recycling as this prevents the negative effects of the said substances on the environment. 

References 

• (November 01, 2022). Biodegradable and Non-biodegradable. Retrieved from: https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/biodegradable-and-non-biodegradable/

• Sonesson, U., Björklund, A., Carlsson, M., & Dalemo, M. (2000). Environmental and economic analysis of management systems for biodegradable waste. Resources, conservation and recycling, 28(1-2), 29-53.

• Bulkeley, H., & Askins, K. (2009). Waste interfaces: biodegradable waste, municipal policy and everyday practice. Geographical Journal, 175(4), 251-260.

• Bharadwaj, A., Yadav, D., & Varshney, S. (2015). Non-biodegradable waste–its impact & safe disposal. Int. J. Adv. Technol. Eng. Sci, 3(1).

• Velvizhi, G., Shanthakumar, S., Das, B., Pugazhendhi, A., Priya, T. S., Ashok, B., … & Karthick, C. (2020). Biodegradable and non-biodegradable fraction of municipal solid waste for multifaceted applications through a closed loop integrated refinery platform: Paving a path towards the circular economy. Science of the Total Environment, 731, 138049.