English Lexicon

Biodegradable plastic

/ˌbaɪ.oʊ.dɪˈɡreɪ.də.bəl ˈplæs.tɪk/
nounCEFR B2 (Upper)Top #14500 frequency
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Comprehensive Definitions & Senses

2 senses
As noun
  1. 1

    A type of plastic that can be decomposed by the action of living organisms, usually bacteria and fungi, into natural elements such as water, carbon dioxide, and biomass.

    "The supermarket decided to replace traditional checkout bags with biodegradable plastic bags to reduce environmental waste."
  2. 2

    Synthetic or bio-derived polymers designed to break down more rapidly in specific environmental conditions compared to conventional persistent plastics.

    "Researchers are testing a new form of biodegradable plastic derived from cornstarch for agricultural mulch films."

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Antonyms & Contrasting Words (1)

Linguistic Origin & Historical Etymology

The term combines 'bio-', derived from the Greek bios meaning 'life', with 'degradable', originating from the Latin degradare meaning 'to reduce or step down', and 'plastic', from the Greek plastikos meaning 'capable of being molded'. It emerged in the late 20th century alongside growing environmental awareness and the development of sustainable polymer alternatives.

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10 Global Lexicons: How "Biodegradable plastic" is said worldwide

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🇫🇷French → English

plastique biodégradable

Transliteration: plas.tik bjo.de.ɡʁa.da.bl

"L'utilisation de plastique biodégradable aide à réduire la pollution des océans."

🇩🇪German → English

biologisch abbaubarer Kunststoff

Transliteration: bioˈloːɡɪʃ ˈapbaʊˌbaːɐ̯ɐ ˈkʊnstˌstɔf

"Immer mehr Unternehmen verwenden biologisch abbaubaren Kunststoff für ihre Verpackungen."

🇮🇹Italian → English

plastica biodegradabile

Transliteration: ˈplas.ti.ka bi.o.de.ɡraˈda.bi.le

"I sacchetti di plastica biodegradabile sono obbligatori in molti negozi."

🇪🇸Spanish → English

plástico biodegradable

Transliteration: ˈplas.ti.ko βjo.de.ɣɾaˈða.βle

"El plástico biodegradable se descompone de forma natural en el medio ambiente."

🇵🇹Portuguese → English

plástico biodegradável

Transliteration: ˈplaʃ.ti.ku bi.o.de.ɡɾaˈda.vɛw

"O uso de plástico biodegradável é uma alternativa sustentável."

🇮🇳Hindi → English

जैव-निम्नीकरणीय प्लास्टिक

Transliteration: jaiv-nimnikaraniya plastic

"पर्यावरण को बचाने के लिए हमें जैव-निम्नीकरणीय प्लास्टिक का उपयोग करना चाहिए।"

🇨🇳Chinese → English

生物降解塑料

Transliteration: shēng wù jiǎng jiě sù liào

"生物降解塑料有助于减少白色污染。"

🇰🇷Korean → English

생분해성 플라스틱

Transliteration: saengbunhaeseong peuraseutik

"생분해성 플라스틱은 환경 오염을 줄이는 데 도움이 됩니다."

🇯🇵Japanese → English

生分解性プラスチック

Transliteration: seibunkasei purasuchikku

"レジ袋の代わりに生分解性プラスチックが使われています。"

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