Question

Which of the following groups contain only biodegradable items?
1. Grass, flowers and plastic
2. Cake, wood and metal
3. Fruit-peels, Vegetables and wood
4. Grass, wood and plastic

Answer 1

Correct Answer - Option 3 : Fruit-peels, Vegetables and wood

Concept:

Biodegradable wastes:

• The wastes that can be degraded or decomposed in nature by the action of different microbes and other living things using processes like composting, aerobic digestion, anaerobic digestion, etc are called Biodegradable wastes.
• Examples include wood, fruits, vegetables, dead animal and plants, etc.
• These wastes majorly include organic matter which can be broken down into simpler organic molecules like carbon dioxide, methane, water.
• However, some Inorganic matters are also included which can be degraded by microbial action like gypsum.

​Non-biodegradable wastes:

• The wastes that cannot be degraded or decomposed in nature by the action of different microbes and other living things using processes like composting, aerobic digestion, anaerobic digestion, etc are called Non-Biodegradable wastes.
• These wastes act as a source of environmental pollution.
• Examples include plastic, glass, metallic wastes, etc.

​Explanation:

• ​Fruit-peels, Vegetables, and wood all come under the category of organic matter which can be easily degraded by microbial action.
• Thereby the correct answer is option 3 - ​Fruit-peels, Vegetables, and wood.

• Plastic & Metal are non-biodegradable wastes as they are not decomposed in nature.