ʻO nā mea biodegradable he mau mea ia e hiki ke hoʻokaʻawale loa ʻia i nā hui molekala haʻahaʻa e nā microorganism (e laʻa, bacteria, fungi, a me algae, a pēlā aku) ma lalo o nā kūlana kaiapuni kūlohelohe o ka lōʻihi kūpono a hōʻike ʻia. I kēia manawa, ua māhele nui ʻia lākou i ʻehā mau māhele nui: polylactic acid (PLA), PBS, polylactic acid ester (PHA) a me polylactic acid ester (PBAT).
Loaʻa i ka PLA ka biosafety, biodegradability, nā waiwai mechanical maikaʻi a me ka maʻalahi o ka hana ʻana, a hoʻohana nui ʻia i ka ʻōpala, ka lole, ka ʻoniʻoni plastik mahiʻai a me nā ʻoihana polymer biomedical.
Hiki ke hoʻohana ʻia ka PBS i loko o nā kiʻiʻoniʻoni hoʻopili, nā ipu ʻaina, nā mea hoʻopili huʻa, nā ʻōmole hoʻohana i kēlā me kēia lā, nā ʻōmole lāʻau lapaʻau, nā kiʻiʻoniʻoni mahiʻai, nā mea hoʻokuʻu lohi no nā mea hoʻoulu pesticide a me nā ʻoihana ʻē aʻe.
Hiki ke hoʻohana ʻia ka PHA i nā huahana hoʻolei ʻia, nā ʻaʻahu ʻokiʻoki no nā mea lapaʻau, nā ʻeke hoʻopili a me ka composting, nā sutures lapaʻau, nā mea hoʻoponopono, nā bandages, nā nila orthopedic, nā kiʻiʻoniʻoni anti-adhesion a me nā stents.
Loaʻa iā PBAT nā pono o ka hana hana kiʻiʻoniʻoni maikaʻi a me ka puhi ʻana i ka kiʻiʻoniʻoni maʻalahi, a hoʻohana nui ʻia ma nā kahua o nā kiʻiʻoniʻoni hoʻopili hoʻolei a me nā kiʻiʻoniʻoni mahiʻai.