ABSTRACT
Research is being conducted in a number of private, academic, and government laboratories worldwide to develop biodegradable materials that neither persist in the environment nor create the undesirable ecological effects for which ubiquitous synthetic plastics have become notorious. The intent is to produce consumer products that biodegrade much more rapidly than synthetic petroleum-based plastics. Examples are agricultural mulches for water retention in crops and Šlms used for weed control, as well as rigid materials such as eating utensils, packaging materials, bottles, and other containers that are disposable and can biodegrade after use.
