Over the last six decades, the use of plastic materials has had a major impact on our daily lives, and has become essential for modern societies due to their extensive and diverse range of applications. However, the recalcitrant nature of many plastics means that they are problematic in terms of disposal and are a major industrial waste product and environmental pollutant. The use of biodegradable polymers can aid in resolving a number of waste management issues as they are degraded ultimately to CO2 and water and can be directed to conventional industrial composting systems. Four different biodegradable polymers, namely polycaprolactone, polyhydroxybutytate, polylactic acid and poly(1,4 butylene) succinate were used to study the time required for biodegradation to occur in soil and compost under laboratory conditions. Degradation of polymer discs was measured by monitoring changes in disc weight, thickness and diameter over a period of more than three months at three different temperatures: 25°C, 37°C and 50°C. Degradation rates varied between the polymers and the incubation temperatures. Polycaprolactone was the only polymer that was found to completely degrade when buried in compost and incubated at 50°C. Fungi from the surface of polycaprolactone discs were isolated and four morphologically distinct fungi identified.

Over the last six decades, the use of plastic materials has had a major impact on our daily lives, and has become essential for modern societies due to their extensive and diverse range of applications. However, the recalcitrant nature of many plastics means that they are problematic in terms o...