None of the tested materials mineralized at rates comparable to
the positive control material. The highest cumulative biodegradation
during composting was observed for the plastarch containing
material (51.3%). Starch is made of repeating glucose units linked by
glucosidic bonds that are susceptible to enzymatic attack. Uses and
applications of starch in its native form or blended with other
materials have been discussed [45,46]. Biodegradation of the starch
containing portion of the material has been reported [47,48].
However the reason that the plastarch degraded more slowly than
cellulose is not known.