Agricultural plastics litter

Kumar B, Yaduraju NT, Ahuja KN, Prasad D (1993) Effect of soil solarization on weeds and nematodes under tropical Indian conditions. Weed Res 33 423-429 Kurt S, Emir B (2004) Effect of soil solarization, chicken litter and viscera on populations of soilborne fungal pathogens. Plant Pathol J 3 118-124 Kyrikou I, Briassoulis D (2007) Biodegradation of agricultural plastic films a critical review. 

Mushobozy D, Khan VA, Stevens C (1998) The use of soil solarization to control weeds, plant diseases, and integration of chicken litter amendment for tomato production in Tanzania. In Proceedings of the 27th national agricultural plastics congress of american society for plasti-culture, p 279-285... 

It is a fact that actinic deterioration of Degradable Plastic films will, in due course, lead to the crumbling of them into fine particles. Such disintegration obviates the plastics litter problem and provides the possibility of a solution to the agricultural plastics residue situation. There is evidence in this paper and elsewhere ( ) that there are commercially viable formulations with which packaging (and related) plastics can be made to have controlled, short embrittlement times outdoors but no indoor stability problems. 

Polymers can be applied into the soil intentionally or unintentionally. This classification is important because the environmental conditions can be different in one case or in the other. In practice, there are two main routes through which the biodegradable plastics terminate their life in soil agriculture and littering. 

Applications currently promoted for oxidatively biodegradable plastics include, landfill covers and bags for landfill disposal, agricultural film and a route to alleviate litter. They do not currently meet compost bag use. 

Realistic uses for Degradable Plastics include those applications where materials are used outdoors for a limited time only and it is not economically desirable to collect the residual materials after use. Examples are agricultural mulch, films and cordage, twine, etc. Another application is that of packaging which is stored and used indoors and discarded outdoors, in other words litter for which manual collection is not practicable. 

In summary, it is apparent tbat there are selective opportunities for environmentally degradable polymers and plastics. Notably for water-soluble polymers where recovery is unlikely. There are niche opportunities for plastics such as fast food wrappers, fast food utensils, where separation is avoided and the plastic is already in a food matrix that is suitable for biodegradation litter ocean dumping agricultural applications where recoveiy is unlikely and expensive for films and mulch and hygienic products. 

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