What are biodegradable plastics? And are they the same as compostable plastics? What about bioplastics? And are any of them better for the environment than alternatives? This week we’re talking all things degradation, with a special focus on composting. We'll be hearing from Lesley Green and Professor Helen Hailes from University College London's Big Composting Experiment – they will tell us what happened when participants buried various plastics marketed as degradable in their compost heaps. Meanwhile Kathy Page from the Royal Society of Chemistry talks us through some of the vocabulary around these kinds of plastics. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.