a hot melt adhesive composition can be made using a polyester derived from 2 - hydroxy - propanoic acid . a biodegradable / compostable thermoplastic resin can be formulated into a hot melt adhesive using a lower molecular weight material as a tackifying resin . the adhesive material can be made pressure sensitive and can be made entirely biodegradable by combining the polyester polymer with other biodegradable / compostable ingredients . the biodegradable / compostable adhesive material can be used as a substitute for non - biodegradable materials made from commercial polymers that resist attack by bacteria , fungi and other microbial populations . the resulting adhesive composition can be used in a variety of applications such as packaging and for the manufacture of disposable articles which are made from degradable materials . the entire disposable article can be made from adhesives and structural materials that are fully biodegradable / compostable .