There are three types of microbial environments: suspended, dormant, and active. Plastics treated with Eco-Pure® require an active microbial environment in order to biodegrade. In environments such as warehouses, o$ces, and retail locations the microbial environment is suspended or dormant and does not provide the circumstances needed for biodegradation to occur. An active microbial environment is one that contains active fungal and bacterial colonies and would be extremely dirty in either aerobic or anaerobic conditions. This allows the microbes to colonize the plastic and begin to digest the polymer.