1. not able to be broken down naturally by biological processes; not biodegradable
Usage: environmental science; chemistry

Examples

• Plastic bags are nondegradable and can persist in the environment for hundreds of years.
• The company switched to biodegradable packaging to replace nondegradable materials.
• Nondegradable waste poses a serious threat to marine ecosystems.
• Scientists are working to develop alternatives to nondegradable synthetic polymers.
• The landfill was filled with nondegradable items that would never decompose naturally.
• Environmental regulations restrict the use of nondegradable chemicals in manufacturing.