The report of the project “Relevance of Conventional and Biodegradable Plastics in Agriculture” has been published recently. The report was commissioned by the European Commission, and was led by Eunomia, with contributions by ENT and Deloitte.
The overall objective of this study is to support the Commission’s work on potential policy actions regarding agricultural plastics, and regarding the establishment of a framework for biodegradable plastics. In particular, the objective of the study is to identify and reduce the environmental impacts associated with conventional and biodegradable agricultural plastics. The main focus is on their end-of-life, in particular their incorrect collection, their low reuse and recycling levels and their effective biodegradability. The study deals with those agricultural macro-plastics that are deliberately placed in the environment to fulfil a function in the agricultural system.