Microbial degradation of four biodegradable polymers in soil and compost demonstrating polycaprolactone as an ideal compostable plastic.

Plastics are an indispensable material but also a major environmental pollutant. In contrast, biodegradable polymers have the potential to be compostable. The biodegradation of four polymers as discs, polycaprolactone (PCL), polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB), polylactic acid (PLA) and poly(1,4 butylene) succinate (PBS) was compared in soil and compost over a period of more than 10 months at 25 °C, 37 °C and 50 °C. Degradation rates varied between the polymers and incubation temperatures but PCL showed the fastest degradation rate under all conditions and was completely degraded when buried in compost and incubated at 50 °C after 91 days. Furthermore, PCL strips showed a significant reduction in tensile strength in just 2 weeks when incubated in compost >45 °C. Various fungal strains growing on the polymer surfaces were identified by sequence analysis. Aspergillus fumigatus was most commonly found at 25 °C and 37 °C, while Thermomyces lanuginosus, which was abundant at 50 °C, was associated with PCL degradation.