ʻO nā mea biodegradable nā mea hiki ke hoʻokaʻawale loa ʻia i loko o nā pūhui molekala haʻahaʻa e nā microorganism (e laʻa, bacteria, fungi, a me nā algae, a me nā mea ʻē aʻe) ma lalo o nā kūlana kūlohelohe kūlohelohe o ka lōʻihi kūpono a hōʻike ʻia.I kēia manawa, ua māhele nui ʻia lākou i ʻehā mau ʻāpana: 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 hana maʻalahi, a hoʻohana nui ʻia i ka hoʻopili ʻana, textile, kiʻi ʻoniʻoni a me nā ʻoihana polymer biomedical.
Hiki ke hoʻohana ʻia ka PBS i ke kiʻi paʻi kiʻi, nā papa ʻaina, nā mea hoʻopili pahu, nā ʻōmole hoʻohana i kēlā me kēia lā, nā hue lāʻau lapaʻau, nā kiʻiʻoniʻoni mahiʻai, nā mea hoʻokuʻu lohi pesticide a me nā māla ʻē aʻe.
Hiki ke hoʻohana ʻia ka PHA i nā huahana hoʻokuʻu ʻia, nā ʻaʻahu ʻokiʻoki no nā lāʻau lapaʻau, ka ʻeke a me nā ʻeke compost, nā lāʻau lapaʻau, nā mea hana hoʻoponopono, nā bandage, nā nila orthopedic, nā kiʻi anti-adhesion a me nā stents.
Loaʻa i ka PBAT nā mea maikaʻi o ka hana kiʻiʻoniʻoni maikaʻi a me ka puhi ʻana i nā kiʻiʻoniʻoni maʻalahi, a hoʻohana nui ʻia i nā kahua o nā kiʻi ʻoniʻoni hoʻokuʻu ʻia a me nā kiʻiʻoniʻoni mahiʻai.