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Biodegradation of Polymers: Stages, Measurement, Standards and Prospects
Summary
This review covers all stages of polymer biodegradation, from initial surface colonization by microbes to complete breakdown into CO2 and water. The authors compare testing standards across different environments like soil, marine, and compost settings, noting significant gaps between lab results and real-world degradation rates. Understanding true biodegradability is critical because many products marketed as biodegradable may still leave behind persistent microplastic fragments.
Nowadays, sustainable and biodegradable bioplastics are gaining significant attention due to resource depletion and plastic pollution. An increasing number of environmentally friendly plastics are being introduced to the market with the aim of addressing these concerns. However, many final products still contain additives or mix non-biodegradable polymers to ensure minimum performance, which often undermines their ecological footprint. Moreover, there is a lack of knowledge about all stages of biodegradation and their accuracy in classifying products as biodegradable. Therefore, this review provides an overview of biodegradable polymers, elucidating the steps and mechanisms of polymer biodegradation. We also caution readers about the growing marketing practice of “greenwashing” where companies or organizations adopt green marketing strategies to label products with more environmental benefits than they have. Furthermore, we present the main standards for evaluating biodegradation, tools, and tests capable of measuring the biodegradation process. Finally, we suggest strategies and perspectives involving concepts of recycling and the circularity of polymers to make them more environmentally friendly and sustainable. After all, “throwing away” plastics should not be an option because there is no outside when there is only one planet.