Hiki ke hoʻokaʻawale ʻia nā mea palaho i ʻehā mau māhele: nā plastics photodegradable, nā plastics biodegradable, nā plastics photo/biodegradable a me nā plastics wai-degradable. ʻO nā plastics photodegradable he mau photosensitizers i hui pū ʻia me nā plastics. Ma lalo o ka hana a ka lā, palaho mālie nā plastics. Akā ʻo kona hemahema, ʻo ia ka hopena o ka lā a me ke kaiapuni o ke aniau i ka manawa palaho, no laila ʻaʻole hiki ke kāohi ʻia. ʻO nā plastics biodegradable e pili ana i nā plastics hiki ke palaho i nā hui haʻahaʻa-molecular e nā microorganisms e noho nei ma ke ʻano, e like me ka bacteria, molds, a me ka algae ma lalo o kekahi mau kūlana. He maʻalahi kēlā mau plastics e mālama a lawe aku, a he ākea nā noi. ʻO nā plastics māmā/biodegradable he mau plastics e hoʻohui i nā ʻano pālua o nā plastics māmā-degradable a me nā plastics biodegradable. I kēia manawa, ʻo nā plastics biodegradable i hoʻomohala ʻia ma koʻu ʻāina he mau biopolyesters nui e like me ka polylactic acid (PLA), polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA), carbon dioxide copolymer (PPC) a pēlā aku. Hana ʻia ka waikawa Polylactic (PLA) ma o ka polymerization o nā monomers lactide i unuhi ʻia mai nā kō mea kanu, a hiki ke hoʻohaumia loa ʻia i loko o ka wai a me ke kalapona dioxide ma lalo o ka composting ʻoihana. ʻO Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) nā copolyesters aliphatic me nā ʻano like ʻole i synthesized ʻia e ka fermentation o nā kumu kalapona like ʻole e nā microorganism. ʻAʻole hiki ke hoʻohana wale ʻia i nā mea hoʻopili, nā kiʻiʻoniʻoni mahiʻai, a me nā mea ʻē aʻe, akā hiki ke hoʻohana nui ʻia i nā lāʻau lapaʻau, nā mea hoʻonani, a me ka hānai holoholona a me nā ʻoihana ʻē aʻe. ʻO nā plastics degradable wai he mau plastics hiki ke hoʻoheheʻe ʻia i loko o ka wai ma muli o ka hoʻohui ʻana o nā mea omo wai. Me ka hoʻomohala ʻana o ka biotechnology hou, ua lilo nā plastics biodegradable i wahi wela hou i ka noiʻi a me ka hoʻomohala ʻana.

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