Many plastics are biodegradable, however, the common plastics are often not. Plastics degrade in UV sunlight and UV degraded plastic is biodegradable. It can take a long time for these to biodegrade, usually varying between 50-500 years depending on the environmental conditions.
Always check whether the time quoted for a material to biograde is based on sea water, landfill (anaerobic), soil (cold composting), hot composting (aerobic), exposed to sun etc.
| Miscellaneous Materials | Will it Decay | Cold
Compost | HOTBIN Compost | Rate of decay in the HOTBIN | Comments |
| Glass | No | No | No | - | |
| Metals | No | No | No | - | Metals degrade but do not biodegrade. |
| Plastics (acetates, PVC, PU, PLA, Polyesters, nylon) | Yes/No | No | No | Slow | These plastics slowly biodegrade. Times are measured in months to 50 years depending on the size of the pieces and the environmental conditions. |
| Plastics (PP, PE, PET, Polystrene) | Yes/No | No | No | Very slow | These plastics degrade in UV sunlight and UV degraded plastic is then biodegradable. Times are measured in 50-500 years depending on the size of the pieces and the environmental conditions. |
| Rubber, latex gloves and products | Yes | Not Advised | Yes | Slow | Natural latex (and synthetic latex) is biodegradable and compostable. |
| Vulcanised rubber (e.g. tyres) | Yes | No | No | Very slow | The vulcanised rubber is very slow to degrade and/or biodegrade. |
