biodegradability

The capability of decaying (being broken down into component elements, usually including water, carbon dioxide, and other simple, small molecule substances), caused by the actions of living things such as bacteria and molds. Biodegradability is an important environmental concern because it is a natural recycling process; all new life and the substances necessary to sustain life use the products of biodegration. Because synthetic materials are not biodegradable, their disposition after use is not a resource but an environmental problem.