Plastics have been around for over 150 years, but we're still learning about their effects on the environment. On the one hand, plastic has revolutionized food storage and transportation by making it easier than ever before to keep food fresh and safe as it moves from producers to consumers. On the other hand, we've seen how large pieces of plastic can end up in marine environments where they break down into smaller pieces called microplastics. These microplastics can then be eaten by fish or other animals or enter our food chain through plants that absorb them from soil or water sources contaminated by leaching plastics or microplastic particles. The good news is that some types of plastic are biodegradable and will decompose naturally when exposed to sunlight or another source of heat—although this may take months or even years!
You may have come across claims that plastic is biodegradable or nonbiodegradable. This is not the case. In fact, all plastics are designed to look like they will be broken down by microorganisms—but this doesn't mean that it actually happens.
There are a few different types of plastic that can biodegrade if they're exposed to the right conditions:
Microplastics are small pieces of plastic that have been broken down from larger pieces. They can be formed by the breakdown of larger pieces or by being created as a result of a chemical reaction. Microplastics are found in almost every type of plastic, including products like toothpaste, cosmetics and clothing.
Microplastics have been found in the digestive tracts of fish, birds and other marine life; however there is currently no study that has shown how harmful they may be for humans.
Microplastics are hard to see. They're so small that you might not even realize you have them in your home. Microplastics can be found in almost every type of plastic, including water bottles and food packaging. Microbeads are often used as exfoliants in beauty products like toothpaste and facial scrubs, but they can also be found in clothing and cleaning supplies.
Many people don't realize that microbeads are made of plastic, so they may not think twice about putting them down the drain or flushing them down the toilet when they're done with their beauty routine—but these tiny pieces add up quickly! In fact, 2 trillion microbeads can fit into an area the size of a quarter!
While we've known for some time now that these particles end up in our oceans and lakes due to wastewater runoff from farms, manufacturers' plants and sewage facilities (to name a few), recent research has shown that microplastics have made their way across land masses as well—even reaching remote areas like Antarctica—and into our waterways worldwide through various other means such as air pollution from vehicles or industrial processes (like mining).
The smallest pieces of microplastics are so small that they can actually pass through water filtration systems. The particles also have a tendency to absorb toxins, making them even more harmful if consumed. This means that even if you’re not eating plastic yourself, there’s still a chance it could end up in your system via the food chain.
There are many ways in which microplastics get into our food chain (and therefore our bodies). For example, they can be ingested by small organisms that live near the surface of lakes and oceans; these organisms will then be eaten by larger animals at higher levels in the food chain—like us!
The problem is not limited to seafood; microplastics have been found in other kinds of food as well, such as honeydew melon drinks or fresh vegetables from China!
Some organisms can eat plastic even if it doesn't look like food. Plastics are not biodegradable and cannot be broken down by animals or bacteria. But some organisms, like the tiny marine plankton called salps, will consume small pieces of plastic because they mistake them for food. This can cause problems when these micro-particles get large enough to block their digestive systems, or when they attract toxic chemicals that they then feed on to other organisms in their environment.
There is no doubt that the world would benefit from a material that could be safely broken down by natural processes. But this isn't a solution to the problem of plastic pollution, because it doesn't address all types of plastic waste. In fact, if your goal is to stop using plastic entirely and prevent it from entering the environment at all, biodegradability won't help you—it will only encourage recycling. The reason for this is simple: not all plastics are created equal. Some plastics break down easily in nature, and others can take thousands or even millions of years to degrade (or never do).
Some bacteria have been found to break down specific kinds of plastics, but these organisms weren't able to digest other types of plastic at all—and their ability disappeared over time due to heat exposure and other variables that affect their growth conditions outside their native environments."
There are some types of plastic that shouldn't be put into the environment, and you should use caution when throwing them out with regular trash.
What we know for sure is that there's no one-size-fits-all answer for biodegradable and nonbiodegradable plastics. Some types of plastic break down more easily than others, and there are always going to be unexpected factors that can affect how long something takes before it breaks down. It's important to do your research before making any decisions about what type of plastic you want to use in your home or office because even though they may seem similar at first glance (like #1 and #2), they could end up having very different effects on our environment over time!