Hiki ke hoʻokaʻawale ʻia nā mea hoʻoheheʻe ʻia i ʻehā mau ʻāpana: nā plastics photodegradable, nā plastic biodegradable, nā plastics photo/biodegradable a me nā plastics degradable water-degradable.ʻO nā plastik hiki ke hoʻoheheʻe ʻia he mau photosensitizer i hui pū ʻia i loko o nā plastic.Ma lalo o ka hana a ka lā, hoʻoheheʻe mālie nā plastics.Akā ʻo kona hemahema, ʻo ia ka hopena o ka manawa hoʻohaʻahaʻa i ka lā a me ke ʻano o ke aniau, no laila ʻaʻole hiki ke mālama ʻia.ʻO nā plastic biodegradable e pili ana i nā plastics hiki ke hoʻoheheʻe ʻia i loko o nā pūhui haʻahaʻa-molekala e nā microorganism e noho nei ma ke ʻano, e like me ka bacteria, molds, a me nā algae ma lalo o kekahi mau kūlana.He mea maʻalahi kēlā mau plastics e mālama a lawe aku, a loaʻa i kahi ākea o nā noi.ʻO nā plastics māmā/biodegradable nā ​​mea i hoʻohui ʻia i nā ʻano ʻelua o nā plastic degradable light-degradable a me nā plastic biodegradable.I kēia manawa, ʻo nā plastic biodegradable i hoʻomohala ʻia ma koʻu ʻāina he biopolyesters ka nui e like me ka polylactic acid (PLA), polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA), carbon dioxide copolymer (PPC) a pēlā aku.Hana ʻia ka polylactic acid (PLA) e ka polymerization o nā monomer lactide i unuhi ʻia mai nā mea kanu sugars, a hiki ke hoʻohaʻahaʻa ʻia i loko o ka wai a me ka carbon dioxide ma lalo o ka hoʻoheheʻe ʻana i ka ʻoihana.ʻO nā polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) he aliphatic copolyesters me nā hale like ʻole i synthesed e ka fermentation o nā kumu kalapona like ʻole e nā microorganism.ʻAʻole hiki ke hoʻohana wale ʻia i loko o nā mea hoʻopihapiha, nā kiʻiʻoniʻoni mahiʻai, a me nā mea ʻē aʻe, akā hoʻohana nui ʻia i nā lāʻau lapaʻau, nā mea hoʻonaninani, a me nā holoholona holoholona a me nā māla ʻē aʻe.ʻO nā plastics hiki ke hoʻoheheʻe ʻia i ka wai he mau mea hiki ke hoʻoheheʻe ʻia i loko o ka wai ma muli o ka hoʻohui ʻia ʻana o nā mea hoʻoheheʻe wai.Me ka hoʻomohala ʻana o ka biotechnology hou, ua lilo nā plastic biodegradable i wahi wela hou i ka noiʻi a me ka hoʻomohala ʻana.

Ma Kina, ʻaʻole lawa ka ʻenehana biodegradable i kēia manawa, a aia kekahi mau mea hoʻohui.Inā hoʻohui ʻia kēia mau mea hoʻohui, ʻaʻole e hoʻokō ka mea plastik i ka hopena o ka biodegradation.Inā ʻaʻole i hoʻohui ʻia, e hoʻoheheʻe ʻia kēia mea plastik ma lalo o nā kūlana, ʻoi aku hoʻi ma nā wahi wela, no laila paʻakikī loa ka mālama ʻana.
Eia kekahi, ʻo ka hoʻohana ʻana i nā mea biodegradable e hana i ka huahananā ponipono nā hoʻololi kikoʻī.