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PHAntastic: PHA-based innovative agricultural solutions to deliver bio-based fertilisers and plant protection products
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Researchers developed PHA-based biodegradable mulch films and growth foams for agricultural use that incorporate active bioproducts to reduce fertilizer and pesticide inputs, offering a route to eliminate microplastic accumulation from synthetic agroplastics while maintaining agrochemical delivery function.
PHAntastic: PHA-based innovative agricultural solutions to deliver bio-based fertilisers and plant protection products The PHAntastic project is driving the sustainable transformation of agriculture by tackling agrochemical de-pendency and plastic pollution. It will develop 2 innovative delivery systems—mulch films and growth foams—based on polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs), a family of bio-based, fully biodegradable polymers. These solutions incorporate active bioproducts to reduce fertiliser and pesticide use, mitigate microplastic pollution, and enhance soil health.
More Papers Like This
Polyhydroxyalkanoates as Sustainable Agricultural Plastics: Processing Strategies, Performance, and Environmental Perspectives
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This review paper rounds up existing research on PHAs, plant-derived plastics that naturally break down in soil, as a promising swap for the plastic sheeting and containers commonly used in farming today. That matters because conventional farm plastics shed microplastics into soil and crops over time, potentially entering our food supply, and this study highlights how these biodegradable alternatives could reduce that contamination while noting that cost and durability challenges still need to be solved before widespread use.
Valorization of Agri-Food Waste into PHA and Bioplastics: From Waste Selection to Transformation
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This review examines how food and farming waste can be converted into biodegradable bioplastics called PHAs, which could replace petroleum-based plastics. The process uses bacteria to transform waste materials like whey and potato peelings into plastic that naturally breaks down. Developing viable alternatives to conventional plastics is critical for reducing the flow of microplastics into the environment and human food chain.
Innovations in applications and prospects of bioplastics and biopolymers: a review
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Researchers reviewed the chemistry, applications, and market outlook for bioplastic polymers including PHA, PLA, and cellulose-based materials, finding they offer meaningful environmental advantages over petroleum plastics but require further economic and performance optimization before achieving widespread commercial adoption.
PHA-Based Bioplastic: a Potential Alternative to Address Microplastic Pollution
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This review examines polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA)-based bioplastics as biodegradable alternatives to petroleum-derived plastics, highlighting their potential to reduce microplastic pollution while discussing challenges in scaling production and improving material properties.
Functionalization of slow-release fertilizers and “passive predation microplastics” mechanism for polylactic acid composites
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Researchers developed a biodegradable fertilizer film made from polylactic acid (PLA) and modified lignin that can slowly release nutrients while breaking down naturally in soil, offering an alternative to conventional plastic mulch. The study also explored how plants absorb tiny fragments of bio-based plastics, which is important for understanding whether even biodegradable alternatives still pose risks to food safety.
Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.