2.1 Screening and isolation of polylactide degrading microorganisms In order to isolate PLA degrading microorganisms, the compost samples were inoculated into basal medium containing PLA film (2x4cm) as a sole carbon source. The samples were incubated atmesophilic (37°C) temperatures understatic conditions or 25 days. The degradation of PLA film was analyzed based on a) Weight loss of PLA film b) Total organic carbon (TOC) c) Drop in the pH of the medium. 2.2 Analysis of degradation of PLA film 2.2.1 Weight loss The effect of microorganisms on degradation of PLA film was determined by measuring the residual weight of the polymers. The percentage weight change of PLA film was calculated by comparing the dry weight (Wd) of the residual PLA film with original weight (Wo) of the PLA film [12]. 2.2.2 Total organic carbon measurement (TOC) Degradation was quantified by the estimation of water soluble total organic carbon (TOC) and drop in the pH of the culture media. To assess the total organic carbon present in the basal medium, approximately 10ml of culture broth was withdrawn from the flask for the analysis of TOC and pH. The reaction mixture containing TOC was measured with a TOC - 5000A Analyzer (Shimadzu).