Grantee Research Project Results
Final Report: Developing Sustainable Alternatives to Plastic Mulch
EPA Grant Number: SU836026Title: Developing Sustainable Alternatives to Plastic Mulch
Investigators: Santelmann, Mary , Doniger, Alison , Holley, Courtney , DeGeorge, Dustin , Chen, Hsiou-Lien , Miller, Isaiah , Cassidy, James , Li, Kaichang , DiFrancesco, Kara , Ingman, Mark , Anderson, Michelle , Selko, Tucker
Institution: Oregon State University
EPA Project Officer: Hahn, Intaek
Phase: I
Project Period: August 15, 2011 through August 14, 2012
Project Amount: $14,999
RFA: P3 Awards: A National Student Design Competition for Sustainability Focusing on People, Prosperity and the Planet (2011) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Pollution Prevention/Sustainable Development , P3 Challenge Area - Sustainable and Healthy Communities , P3 Challenge Area - Safe and Sustainable Water Resources , P3 Awards , Sustainable and Healthy Communities
Objective:
Every year farmers around the globe lay plastic mulch on over 300 million acres of fields. Due to limited disposal and recycling options, this plastic accumulates in landfills or is burned, releasing pollutants into the air. Unrecovered debris pollutes the landscape and can endanger livestock and aquatic organisms (Miles et al., 2006). In addition to the pollution generated by the use of plastic mulch, its manufacture consumes energy and materials while providing only short-term utility—usually less than a year. Currently available alternatives to plastic mulch have not gained widespread acceptance due to their high cost, uncertain performance, and low availability. Despite these serious consequences, the widespread usage of plastic in agriculture (hereafter referred to as “plasticulture”) has been largely overlooked by the public.
The Phase I portion of our project aimed to raise awareness of pollution associated with the production, use and disposal of plastic films/sheeting used as mulch, test promising alternative materials that are already on the market, and to work with farmers and industry partners to begin development of a biodegradable, sustainable alternative to plastic mulch. These objectives are described in more detail below. Our interdisciplinary team of graduate students and undergraduates worked collaboratively on all aspects of the project
Raise awareness of plasticulture
In order to raise awareness of the environmental and human health implications of plasticulture, we produced a 15 minute documentary video on the problems associated with plastic use in agriculture. By including in the video interviews with farmers, academics, and plastic waste handlers, along with footage of plastic use and disposal in the U.S. and China, we provided a diverse, but unified, perspective on the problems associated with plasticulture as well as the current and future alternatives. The video is currently available on YouTube (Following a Plastic Trail) and a draft version was shown at the following venues:
- Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Service (MOSES) Organic Farming Conference, Feb. 24-25, 2012 in La Crosse, WI;
- Small Farms Conference, Feb. 25, 2012 in Corvallis, OR; and
- Raindance Water Resources Film Festival, March 13, 2012 in Corvallis, OR.
Initiate efforts to develop a biodegradable, plastic mulch alternative
Our initial P3 team worked in partnership with members of the OSU Department of Design and Human Environment to develop a mulch alternative which met farmers’ needs. To this end, we modified and tested a flax-wool felted material developed by Dr. Hsiou-Lien Chen. This product utilizes only two raw products, waste wool and flax stems, both of which are widely available and considered to be agriculture “waste” with little to no market value. We evaluated different flax-to-wool ratios and methods to develop and apply the material in situ, so as to best meet farmers’ needs and allow them to customize its application. The flax-wool material was used in several performance tests.
Provide an assessment of mulch biodegradability and performance
We conducted performance and biodegradability testing of plastic mulch, four commercially available plastic mulch alternatives advertised as “biodegradable,” and a prototype flax-wool material. This included testing of the following performance measures, identified by farmers as important mulch features: soil water retention, heat retention, tensile strength, aerobic degradability, and anaerobic biodegradability. Initial results were presented at the Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Service (MOSES) Organic Farming Conference, Feb. 24-25, 2012 in La Crosse, WI and Small Farms Conference, Feb. 25, 2012 in Corvallis, OR.
Summary/Accomplishments (Outputs/Outcomes):
The outputs of this project include a short documentary film on the use of plastic in agriculture, preliminary test results on currently available plastic mulch alternatives, and a prototype for a sustainable alternative to plastic mulch.
The outcomes of our project are fourfold: 1) increasing awareness of the nexus between food and agriculture, which we accomplished by making the video and presenting at two conferences, 2) providing farmers with information about the effectiveness of alternative mulch products as compared to their plastic counterparts by testing the soil moisture retention heat retention, biodegradability, and tensile strength of several products 3) gathering information from farmers on what kinds of mulch products they would purchase and which products parameters are important, and 4) the development and investigation of a flax-wool prototype, a potential alternative to plastic mulch that we believe is very promising based on preliminary data.
Conclusions:
From our research for the documentary, we found that the public is largely unaware that plastic plays such a huge role in food production. There is also a lack of awareness of the pollution and social issues caused by excessive plastic usage. Small farmers are very aware of the problem, and many are happy to try new technologies and even pay a higher premium to avoid using plastic.
Alternative mulches generally performed just as well as plastic-based mulches in our field trials for water and heat retention, and have the added benefit of being more biodegradable than their plastic and plastic-based counterparts. The flax-wool prototype also performed well in moisture and heat retention trials, making it a promising material for an alternative mulch. The flax-wool should be further studied and tested in Phase II.
Journal Articles:
No journal articles submitted with this report: View all 2 publications for this projectSupplemental Keywords:
Waste reduction, plasticulture, soil enhancementRelevant Websites:
Organic Grower's Club Exit
Following a Plastic Trail Exit
P3 Phase II:
Developing Alternatives to Plastic MulchThe perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.