Biodegradable and photodegradable plastics break down naturally by biological or light-induced processes, reducing plastic waste and pollution.

Polyalkenes are composed of long-chain, saturated alkane molecules that contain strong, non-polar C-H and C-C bonds. These bonds do not readily react with other substances in the natural environment.

Biodegradable polymers are polymers that can naturally break down over time.

Condensation polymers can be broken down by hydrolysis because they have polar bonds in their chains, making them susceptible to attack by nucleophiles.

However, hydrolysis is very slow under normal environmental conditions.

Condensation polymers can be broken down by hydrolysis of the amide (-CONH-) or ester (-COO-) bonds between repeat units. This process breaks the polymer chain into its individual monomer units.

Polyesters can be broken down using hot aqueous acid or hot aqueous alkali. The ester (-COO-) bonds between repeat units undergo hydrolysis to produce individual monomer units, which can then undergo further metabolism or degredation.

Photodegradable polymers are polymers that break down when exposed to sunlight or UV radiation.

Photodegradable polymers break down by absorbing energy from ultraviolet light. This causes the bonds in the region of the carbonyl (C=O) group to weaken and break.

A polyester is hydrolysed under alkaline conditions to produce a carboxylate salt and an alcohol.

A polyester is hydrolysied under acidic conditions to produce a carboxylic acid and an alcohol.