Plastic mulch films are employed in the production of vegetables and other specialty crops worldwide due to the benefits they provide, such as reduction of weeds and water loss by evaporation, and control of soil temperature. The benefits can lead to better product quality and yield, and to a more efficient utilization of agricultural inputs such as water. Unfortunately, polyethylene (PE), the most commonly employed constituent of plastic mulches, is poorly biodegradable, thereby requiring the mulch’s’ expensive and laborious retrieval after harvest. The opportunities for recycling and landfilling of PE mulches are not readily available or are impractical. Residual PE fragments are readily dispersed in soil-related ecosystems and watersheds, where they can harm micro- and macro-organisms. Biodegradable plastic mulches (BDMs) have been developed to address the disposal-related deficiencies. Although the purchase costs of BDMs are over two-fold higher than PE mulches, BDMs are inexpensively plowed into the soil after harvest. Despite the environmental benefits of replacing PE plastic mulches with BDMs, and potential savings of labor costs at harvest, the long-term impact of multiyear BDM employment on soil health and specialty crop productivity is still a concern. This chapter provides a review of BDMs in specialty crop production, including commonly employed polymeric constituents. The authors’ recent interdisciplinary research on the long-term impacts of BDMs on specialty crop production and soil fertility will also be discussed.

Biodegradable Plastic Mulch Films for Sustainable Specialty Crop Production

This work established an energy-saving and straightforward treatment of cellulosic pulp to obtain functional cellulose nanofibers equipping them at the same time with catalytic activity and flame-r...

Partial Amorphization of Cellulose through Zinc Chloride Treatment: A Facile and Sustainable Pathway to Functional Cellulose Nanofibers with Flame-Retardant and Catalytic Properties

A method for the production of paper with high strength and grease resistance was developed. Filter paper was impregnated by an aqueous solution of zinc chloride at a fixed temperature for several seconds. Swelling and partial dissolution of the cellulose fibers resulted in strong and compact paper. Various influencing factors were investigated in an attempt to improve the grease resistance of the paper. In addition, the structural properties of the zinc chloride-treated paper were investigated using a Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectrometer, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and a scanning electron microscope (SEM). Paper treated in this manner was completely grease resistant, had greater stretch, and twice as high tensile strength when compared with untreated paper, while its burst strength more than doubled. Paper treated according to this method had the skeleton of un-dissolved cellulose fibers and the matrix of gelled cellulose. The cellulose of the paper was not chemically modified during this process.

https://ojs.cnr.ncsu.edu/index.php/BioRes/article/download/BioRes_10_4_8225_Ma_Self_Reinforced_Grease_Resistant_Sheets/3932

Self-Reinforced Grease-Resistant Sheets Produced by Paper Treatment with Zinc Chloride Solution

Plastic mulching is a critical agricultural practice for food production, which provides multiple benefits, including water conservation, weed control, and increased crop yield and quality. However, the application of conventional polyethylene mulch films has led to plastic pollution in the terrestrial environment because mulch residues in fields are difficult to remove and recycle. To address this issue, soil-biodegradable plastic mulch (BDM) films have been introduced to replace conventional polyethylene mulch films, as BDM films are designed to provide desired agronomic outcomes as well as in-situ disposal and degradation. Thus, increasing interests have been expressed toward BDM films in both research and application areas. In this review, we summarize and synthesize current knowledge about BDM films, regarding the history, definition and use, in-field degradation, agronomic performance, environmental impacts, and economic feasibility. In-field research suggests that BDMs show satisfactory agronomical performance but vary considerably in biodegradability among different products and environmental conditions, and generally do not impair soil health. However, laboratory studies indicate that BDMs may negatively impact terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Overall, current data indicate that BDMs are a promising alternative of conventional polyethylene mulch films. Questions remain about in-field biodegradation, potential accumulation of BDM residues in soils, release of nonbiodegradable additives, and off-site transport of biodegradable plastic residues (including micro- and nanoplastics) to air and water. We provide recommendations to address these questions and challenges to ensure safe and sustainable use of BDM films in agriculture. 

Biodegradable plastics as alternatives for polyethylene mulch films

Since 2011 the District Environment Secretariat launched the promotion of a program to the rational
use of plastic bags through the campaign inasmuch as the contamination, by the use of bags, has
increased considerably. The yearly average consume of every Colombian families is 2.520’000.000
of plastic bags. It is a number to consider due to the high energy waste. In addition, by having
components derived from oil, may take more than half century to be degraded. It is a critical
problem, because each kilogram of plastic produced release 3,5 kilograms of carbon dioxide to the
atmosphere.
As mentioned before, under the appropriate studies, an environmentally friendly mobile device is
designed, because the time it lasts in biodegrade is lower than the plastic bags. This device consists
of a packing made by polyester canvas bag and a metal assembling, that includes wheels and
supports, which allows the mobility and stability, respectively. The differentiating element of this
design is that is reduce in such a way that can be carried in a conventional hand bag.

Desarrollo de empaque para sustituir bolsas plásticas en los supermercados

The aim of this work was to make biodegradable plastics from renewable resources. Paper-based biodegradable plastics were produced via a sol-gel process by using zinc chloride solution. The optimum conditions were a zinc chloride concentration of 65%, reaction temperature of 70 °C, reaction time of 5 s, aging time of 3 h, and glycerol concentration of 10%. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and wide-angle X-ray diffraction (XRD) revealed that no chemical reaction occurred and the crystal form of the cellulose remained cellulose I, but the degree of crystallinity decreased. Compared to other biodegradable plastics, these paper-based biodegradable plastics had better mechanical properties and greater biodegradability.

https://ojs.cnr.ncsu.edu/index.php/BioRes/article/download/BioRes_10_2_2982_Jiang_Paper_Biodegradable_Plastics/5016

Preparation and Characteristics of Paper-based Biodegradable Plastics

The invention provides a preparation of biodegradable new materials by using vegetable fiber paper and a preparation method thereof. The method comprises processing the vegetable fiber paper to a state between fiber swelling and dissolving at a temperature of 60 to 100 DEG C by using a zinc halide aqueous solution with a concentration of 55 to 80 %; taking out the sample to go on slowly reacting; plasticizing in a solidifying solution and solidifying to mould; and finally drying to obtain the completely biodegradable material. The materials have excellent performances of high intensity, high elongation rate and high toughness, is nontoxic, tasteless and completely biodegradable. Meanwhile, the technology is short in processing, low in cost and pollution, and is easy to control; and enables the vegetable fiber to be multifunctional and can highly efficiently recycle and utilize resources.

Preparation of biodegradable new materials by using vegetable fiber paper and preparation method thereof

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Preparation and Characteristics of Paper-based Biodegradable Plastics

Preparation of biodegradable new materials by using vegetable fiber paper and preparation method thereof