Biodegradable
An item that can be broken down naturally into smaller and smaller pieces by bacteria, fungi and/or microbes. Most organic materials, such as food and paper are biodegradable. While biodegradable is often better than non-biodegradable, some things, like biodegradable plastic, can break down into harmful chemicals or gases. Biodegradable items put into a landfill often do not biodegrade with insufficient levels of heat, light, oxygen, moisture or bacteria.