Something that is biodegradable breaks down or decays naturally without any special scientific treatment, and can therefore be thrown away without causing pollution.
...a natural and totally biodegradable plastic.
biodegradable in British English
(ˌbaɪəʊdɪˈɡreɪdəbəl)
adjective
(of sewage constituents, packaging material, etc) capable of being decomposed by bacteria or other biological means
Derived forms
biodegradation (ˌbaɪəʊˌdɛɡrəˈdeɪʃən)
noun
biodegradability (ˌbaɪəʊˌdɛɡreɪdɪˈbɪlɪtɪ)
noun
biodegradable in American English
(ˌbaɪoʊdɪˈgreɪdəbəl)
adjective
capable of being readily decomposed by microbial action, as some detergents
see also degradable
Derived forms
biodegradability (ˌbiodegradaˈbility)
noun or ˌbiodegraˈdation (ˌbaɪoʊˌdɛgrəˈdeɪʃən)
biodegrade (ˌbiodeˈgrade)
verb transitiveWord forms: ˌbiodeˈgraded or ˌbiodeˈgrading
Word origin
bio- + degrade + -able
Examples of 'biodegradable' in a sentence
biodegradable
They use biodegradable carrier bags and use a firm that takes all their leftovers to make pet food.
The Sun (2009)
They still remain active and are made of a biodegradable plastic which will not show on X-rays.
The Sun (2012)
It's made of biodegradable plastic and charged by natural and artificial light.
The Sun (2010)
Defra is also looking at whether it should ban metals, textiles and biodegradable waste from landfill too.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
All bags to become biodegradable.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
Q Can you buy sandwiches in biodegradable packaging?
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
If you don't eat the packaging, it can just be thrown away as it is all fully biodegradable.
The Sun (2015)
I put a biodegradable compost bag in there, do my business, then chuck it over the side.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
In other languages
biodegradable
British English: biodegradable /ˌbaɪəʊdɪˈɡreɪdəbl/ ADJECTIVE
Something that is biodegradable breaks down or decays naturally without any special scientific treatment, and can therefore be thrown away without causing pollution.