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Biodegradable plastic. Coloured scanning electron micrograph of a section through a sheet of a biodegradable plastic. Clearly seen are many granules of starch (orange) embedded in the plastic. When the plastic is buried in soil, the starch grains take up water and expand. This breaks the plastic into many small fragments, increasing the contact area with bacteria in the soil which digest the plastic. Magnification: x375 at 6x7cm size. x1260 at 8x10ins (KEYSTONE/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY)