The irruption of biodegradable plastics in industrial agriculture
Protected agriculture has spread throughout the world in recent decades as a solution to the various climatic and meteorological phenomena that affect agriculture. The use of covers of different types is also used for bird attacks or other threats to crops. On the other hand, the protection of soils through padding, or mulch, has also spread, as a way to combat the attack of pathogenic elements, make better use of irrigation water or better conserve moisture for plants, among other multiple needs.
These applications are generally built based on plastic materials in their different versions, which makes them very unsustainable in a world that urgently requires reducing, reusing and recycling this waste. Bioplastics and biodegradable plastic have burst into this framework.
Bioplastics
The main use that is being given to these bioplastics in agriculture is for the manufacture of padding for the soil, or mulch or mulch, because the conventional plastic that is used in the soil over time gradually deteriorates and breaks until they become small pieces or small particles, which seriously affect the pollution of agricultural production in the long term. That is why they must be removed and, where possible, recycled or reused, which is almost impossible in the case of these microplastics scattered on the ground, sometimes almost invisibly.
That is why it has been sought to replace these traditional polymers with sustainable and biodegradable or compostable options.
Protected orchards and covered floors
Modern agriculture spreads over almost the entire planet, using other management systems, based mainly on the use of technological advances and advances in science.
In Europe, agriculture under cover extends over an approximate area of more than 400.000 ha and the use of mulches for the soil is almost 600.000 ha of crops. In the North American region, the area of protected agriculture reaches almost 30.000 ha, including the US and Canada, and the use of mulches in crops exceeds 650.000 ha. In the case of Africa, agriculture protected with covers reaches 70.000 ha and the use of mulch for crop soils is almost 200.000 ha. In the Latin American continent, the area covered by covered crops is approximately 150.000 ha and more than 500.000 ha corresponds to soils protected by plastic mulches.
All countries advance in seeking sustainable solutions to apply to their crops and in this field biodegradable or compostable materials have emerged as a sustainable solution.
China has mulch covers in more than 20.000.000 ha of crops and has set itself the goal of reaching 4.000.000 ha covered only with compostable material.
Bioplastics or biodegradable?
Bioplastic is considered to be the plastic material that is partially or totally produced with polymers of biological origin and is considered biodegradable if it can degrade into water, carbon dioxide and biomass in a short time.
A bioplastic material is not synonymous with biodegradable. Not all bioplastics are biodegradable. Bioplastic is a moldable plastic material made up of chemical compounds derived from microbes such as bacteria or genetically modified plants. Some bio-based plastics are made from renewable resources instead of fossil fuels, but not all.
Biodegradable plastic is a plastic that is degraded by the action of natural microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi and algae. Most are a combination of organic materials, such as starch and cellulose, and chemical additives that break down into carbon dioxide, methane, biomass, water, and mineral salts. They should not release carbon, because there is normally no carbon in the manufacturing process.
Biodegradable or compostable?
The main difference between compostable and biodegradable plastic is that compostable products need different and specific environments to break down. Composting usually takes place in environments that require oxygen (aerobic), while biodegradation takes place in environments that do not need oxygen (anaerobic).
Compostable plastic breaks down into carbon dioxide, water, inorganic compounds and biomass, leaving no toxic chemicals behind. Compostable resins are typically made from potato starch, soy protein, cellulose, as well as petroleum and petroleum by-products.
Compostable plastics do not break down on their own, in a landfill, as garbage, or in marine environments. They have to be composted in industrial facilities dedicated to composting.
A giant theme of the future
The topic is very broad and full of variables. There are several types of biodegradable plastics and there are also many details regarding compostable ones. This note is part of an extensive report that will be published in the next edition of the magazine BlueMagazine, which is investigating the progress of science in this field, exemplifying it with the reality of some orchards to testify to the advantages and disadvantages of these new materials applied to sustainable industrial agriculture. If you research, produce or market any of these products, or use them, you can participate in the report by sharing your experience with us.
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