Ask Dr. Universe: Why do nonbiodegradables decay slowly?
PULLMAN, Wash. – It can take a really long time for some things to decay. If we buried an apple peel in the backyard, it might only take a few weeks to break down into the soil. But if we buried a plastic water bottle, it would probably still be there hundreds of years from now.
There are a lot of living creatures in nature that help break down things. In fact, our trash cans are almost like an all-you-can-eat-buffet for tiny creatures called microbes.
Well, an almost all-you-can-eat-buffet. There are some things that they can’t really feast on. It all depends on what’s in our trash bins.
Read all of this answer from Dr. Universe at https://askdruniverse.wsu.edu/2017/02/05/why-does-stuff-decay/.
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