adj · neutral
biodegradable
UK/ˌbaɪəʊdɪˈɡreɪdəbl/US/ˌbaɪoʊdɪˈɡreɪdəbl/bi·o·DE·gra·da·ble
able to be broken down naturally by bacteria or other living organisms
Examples
“Many companies now use biodegradable packaging to reduce landfill waste.”
“Make sure the labels say biodegradable before you buy compostable bags.”
“Shops advertise biodegradable cutlery as an alternative to plastic.”
Band 8 sentence
“I always check whether packaging is genuinely biodegradable rather than merely labelled 'eco-friendly', because the latter often lacks scientific backing.”
Collocations
- biodegradable packaging
- labelled as biodegradable
- biodegradable material
Word family
Common mistakes
biodegrade→biodegradable
many biodegradables→many biodegradable items
eco-friendly→biodegradable
Say it for a higher band
5eco-friendly→6recyclable→7+biodegradable
Synonyms
compostable
degradable
Easily confused
recyclable
“Although the label said the bag was recyclable, our local plant could not process it.”
Related words
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In Environment & Climate
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