![]() However, only 30% of that plastic is actually recycled. In the UK alone, over 1.7 million tonnes of plastic is produced each year, and a single plastic bottle will take around 500 years to fully decompose. ![]() An aluminium can take around 6 weeks to manufacture, but it can take up to 200 years to biodegrade. This is where things start a little more alarming. This is simply due to the way that the leather is treated during the production process. LeatherĪlthough a natural material, leather can take up to 50 years to biodegrade. Given that around 18 billion cigarettes are sold every day, this is a frightening statistic. Cigarette buttĭespite its size, a cigarette butt can take up to 10 years to fully biodegrade. PlywoodĪn engineered wood crafted from multiple layers of thin veneer, plywood takes around 1-3 years to properly biodegrade. ![]() A polyester mix t-shirt, on the other hand, can take anywhere between 20 and 200 years to biodegrade, depending on the blend. Cotton t-shirtĪ cotton t-shirt will take around 2-5 months to biodegrade. The flesh around the core is much more resilient than you might think. ![]() It might surprise you to learn that apple cores can take as long as two months to properly decompose. Given that this is shorter than most fruit and veg, it’s easy to see why paper towels needn’t be recycled. To put into context just how important, let’s take a look at how long some of these materials take to biodegrade.Ī paper towel takes around 2-4 weeks to biodegrade. How long this process takes will vary hugely depending on the item, which is why recycling materials which resist the process, such as glass and plastic, is so important. How Long Do Different Materials Take to Biodegrade (Infographic)īiodegradation can be defined simply as the breakdown of organic matter by microorganisms, such as bacteria and fungi.
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