It is designed for implementation in both formal and informal educational environments to allow students to learn about and participate in Closed-Loop Recycling. The process whereby ultraviolet radiation in sunlight attacks a chemical bond or link in the polymer or chemical structure of plastic.
Biodegradable materials are capable of being broken down by bacteria into basic elements.
In biodegradation, living things convert original material into substances they can take in and use. Biodegradability needs microbes and oxygen, neither of which is present, to any significant degree, in modern landfills. Very little really degrades in a landfill because there is not enough air, light, or moisture. When exposed to direct sunlight, the rings will break down in 3 to 4 weeks in summer and 3 to 4 months in winter. The recyclable six-pack rings are lighter than water, causing them to float on the surface where they are exposed to direct sunlight.