Q.1048: Is paper biodegradable?
Ans. The organic part (cellulose, hemi-cellulose and lignin - all plant material) are biodegradable. Inorganic filler and or loading material such as china clay, calcium carbonate etc. are not biodegradable. Please note that in typical writing and printing paper inorganic material may be 20 to 30% or even higher.
Related Question
What makes paper biodegradable?
Ans. The main components of paper are plant material and most of the plant materials are biodegradable.
How long it takes to paper to degrade biologically?
It depends on the surrounding conditions. Newspaper dumped at New York landfill were found almost intact even after 50 years.