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Bioplastics and Agriculture

Bioplastics and agriculture are closely related to each other:

• agricultural feedstocks („renewable resources“) play an important role in manufacturing bioplastics
• bioplastic products find meaningful application areas in agriculture
• composting bioplastics and using the compost in agriculture allows to close the loop – conform to the system.

Today it is important for Europe’s agriculture to delelop cultivation and income alternatives in the non-food sector. About 50 million hectares in Europe (EU 25) are not needed for food production anymore („set aside area“). The European Union is reducing the subsidies for food production and in consequence many jobs in agriculture are at risk. The production of renewable resources by non-food cultivation offers a way out. Biomass can be used in industrial and energetic non-food markets.

Agricultural potential

Agriculture offers an enormous potential: One hectare farmland can produce about two tons of bioplastics. This means – in theory – that more than Europe’s entire plastic consumption could be based on local biomass production. This holds an attractive market potential for agricultural resources from starch plants (corn, potatoes, wheat etc.) and sugar (sugar beets), and also from vegetable oil (rapeseed, sun flower, castor oils) or wood (celluloses). Assuming a future market share for bioplastics of 10% of the plastics market translates into consumption of about 10 million tons of sugar or starch, about 10% of the available non-food area would be required. Thereby bioplastics could contribute to stabilizing agricultural markets and to save jobs as well as incomes in agriculture in liberalised markets. An essential role for agriculture plays the added value of the plastics sector (today plastics often cost more than 1,200 EUR / tonne) compared to the biomass use in the sector for engergy recovery.

Agriculture itself can apply bioplastic:

• Agricultural mulching film:
  Biodegradable mulching films can be ploughed into the ground after use, this also decreases disposal and labour costs.
  
  
• Horticulture and vegetable gardening:
  Diverse products are possible – some examples: film for banana plants which have to be protected from dust and environmental stress; equipment for fastening; plant pots for sprouting; fertiliser sticks or pheromone traps, all of them do not have to be removed after use.

 To close the loop it is best to use compost, that originates from bioplastic products, as fertiliser and as a soil improve in agriculture.