Question

Select the articles from the following list which are biodegradable.
(a) paper
(b) woollen clothes
(c) wood
(d) aluminium can
(e) plastic bag
(f) peels of vegetables

Answer 1

Hint : Biodegradable waste includes any organic matter in waste which can be broken down into carbon dioxide, water, methane or simple organic molecules by microorganisms and other living things by composting, aerobic digestion, anaerobic digestion or similar processes.

Complete Step By Step Answer:
Only the following items are considered biodegradable waste:
(a) paper
(b) woollen clothes
(c) wood
(f) peels of vegetables.
These items usually degrade into simpler substances within a few weeks or months. These items do not require any sophisticated handling. However, it should not be thrown in any open area as it may contaminate the area or the water sources nearby. Biodegradable waste when not handled properly can have an outsized impact on climate change, e.g., through methane emissions from anaerobic fermentation that produces landfill gas.

Additional Information:
In waste management, biodegradable waste also includes some inorganic materials which can be decomposed by bacteria.
The other items in the list are non-biodegradable waste. Waste that cannot be decomposed by biological processes is known as “non-biodegradable wastes”.

Note :
Most of the Non-Biodegradable waste never enter into biogeochemical cycles for degradation or are very slow to degrade and may take up to several hundred years to be broken down and sometimes it is not even possible or are toxic in the process. They may release several hazardous gases into the air. Non-biodegradable waste is recycled to reduce its impact. However, this process is very expensive and is not employed everywhere.