Polymers are substances formed by the interconnection of small molecular units, ie monomers, which, by a certain rule, repeat and form large molecules - macromolecules. Polymers are produced from raw materials obtained from petroleum, non-renewable sources or biological, renewable sources. Polymeric materials are widely used, many of them are not biodegradable and they accumulate in the environment, which is a major problem nowadays. Today, great efforts are being made to find polymeric materials that, after use, can be degraded in a few weeks under controlled conditions, and the degradation products are not harmful to the environment. Biodegradable materials are an environmentally friendly alternative to conventional non biodegradable polymeric materials. Biodegradable polymeric materials are widely used in various industries such as agriculture, pharmacy, medicine, and are often used as packaging materials. Biodegradable polymeric materials can be divided according to chemical composition, origin and method of production, processing method, economic importance, application, etc., and they are characterized by their physical, mechanical and chemical properties. Biodegradable materials can be degraded using physical, chemical and microbiological processes. Nowadays, the decomposition of biodegradable polymeric materials by composting process which is an economically and environmentally acceptable process, is widely used. This paper will give a literature overview related to biodegradable polymeric materials as well as the possibilities of their treatment.