You may associate agriculture with fields, land, dirt… If so, you are a bit far from reality these days. In fact, agriculture is becoming increasingly reliant on plastic, in what is now known as “plasticulture”.
The use of plastic mulch
To avoid unwanted plants from growing in crops, farmers often use something called plastic mulch. Mulch is a layer of material on top of soil that has been seeded. It can be made of manure, mowed weeds, wood chips, and other materials. And of course, it is biodegradable. The effect of animals and microbes eventually degrades it and absorbs into the soil.
But nowadays, a sheet of plastic film can do the same trick. This film stops weeds from growing and is called plastic mulch.
But how much plastic mulch is used, you might wonder? Worldwide, we use around 6.7 million tonnes of plastic mulch yearly. And the European Union (EU) is responsible for 700.000 tonnes of the total. Of course, normal plastic mulch is not biodegradable, and most isn’t even recycled.
Bio-based and biodegradable alternatives?
This is where we at ReBIOlution come in. With an increasing demand for food, the plastic mulch use only grows. Our goal is to find a way to make plastic mulch from bio-based products. This will make it biodegradable, with no need for recycling. The plastic should be able to serve its function and be reabsorbed into the soil, fertilizing it for the next crop.
So how do we make bio-based products into bioplastics? Plastics come from oil or petroleum. This is nothing more than carbohydrates, which can be obtained from plants. Specifically, cellulose and sugar are good examples of carbohydrates.
Of course, plant sugars are far away from plastic, but we can use them in biorefineries to make plastic. At ReBIOlution, we focus on 2,5-Furandicarboxylic acid or FDCA. This molecule is key, as it can be made into polyester, which is the base of plastic mulch, and many other items and materials made of plastic.
So far, FDCA has been hard to produce in large enough quantities with an economic profit. But that is changing, thanks to ReBIOlution and other European partners.
“Biodegradable” is key and not just a pretty word. Here is why.
Perhaps you believe that “biodegradable” is just a pretty word with no importance behind it. That is not the case, in fact, biodegradable plastic mulch offers a lot of advantages.
1. Soil pollution and microplastics: Normal plastic mulch pollutes the soil and releases microplastics because they do not break down. It will contaminate the land for a long period of time before it degrades. Not so with biodegradable plastic mulch, which microbes can decompose slowly, and the components can fertilize the soil.
2. Same effect, less effort: biodegradable plastic mulch has the same positive effects, reducing weed growth, retaining soil moisture in warmer climates, and helping crops grow. But after its use, there is no need to pick it up again. It can be left there to decompose.
3. Healthy soil = healthy vegetables: Microplastics leeching into the soil affect microbial life, reduce moisture, and reduce nutrient uptake. This means the plants grow worse, and the vegetables they produce will have lower quality.
4. Circular economy and developing technology: Using plants to make plastic that helps other plants grow helps move towards a circular economy. There will be less waste and a better effect. Also, new technologies are shaping the future of biodegradable plastics, to the point of having crop-specific or land-specific plastics. This can mean they degrade during the off-season when plants don’t grow, or even fertilize the soil for a specific crop production.
ReBIOlution, biodegradable plastics, and other industries.
We are not stopping at plastic mulch.
Biodegradable plastic film can have many other applications, from plastic wrap at home to food packaging. And polyester is used in the textile industry.
We also face an epidemic of microplastics, and this extends to the oceans and other bodies of water. Biodegradable plastics would also improve ocean health and marine life, so it is an ever-expanding market.
Do not doubt it, the future is bio-based, join the ReBIOlution!