Circular use of plastics in open field and horticulture

Plastics for crop production potential (long-term) health consequences 4 .In response to these issues, across Europe and through initiatives like the United Nations Plastics Treaty, various frameworks and policies are emerging to encourage more responsible plastic use in agriculture.Key measures include reducing plastic use, improving collection systems, and fostering reuse and recycling practices to address plastic pollution.For plastics that cannot be collected after use, compostable or soil-biodegradable alternatives are explored.These biodegradable plastics can contribute to reduce labour and the costs of waste management.To reduce the impact of toxic plastic additives, safer substitutes are explored that do not compromise the product's functionality 5 . Plastics for crop production Plastics in numbersGlobally, plastics production accounted for 413.8 Mt in 2023.90% of this amount was virgin fossil-based while the remaining 10% 6 was either recycled or biobased feedstock.According to data from Plastics Europe 7 on plastics converters demand, the total demand of plastics in Europe has increased from 46 Mt in 2012 up to 54 Mt/per year in 2022.The share claimed by the agricultural sector has remained in the same range since 2012, varying around 3 to 4% of the total demand of plastics in Europe.This translates in an approximate demand of 1.7 Mt virgin plastics per year for the agricultural sector, including packaging.Figures for 2020 indicate a slight decrease towards a demand of 1.6 Mt till 2019, probably due to the global impact of the Covid-19 pandemic; but it could also be due to the increasing amounts of recycled plastics re-entering the market and replacing virgin raw materials, also in agricultural applications.In relation to other sectors, the plastics demand in the agricultural sector is small.In comparison, the demand for the largest plastic sectors, packaging and building, are around 40% and 20% respectively.Specific data available on agri-plastics, focusing on non-packaging plastic products that have a direct use in the field in Europe are available from the French association "Agriculture Plastics Environment" (APE). 8Most recent data originate from 2019 and show an amount of 710 kt virgin conventional plastics marketed for crop and livestock production.A small fraction of these plastics is attributed to (bio)degradable plastics.For instance, a 2018 report states that annually 8 kt oxo-degradable mulching film is used, which represents 0.5% of the total amount of plastics used in the agricultural sector.As these products are banned since July 2021, the current use of oxo-degradable plastics in Europe is unknown.Biodegradable plastics are used for film applications in the agricultural industry.In recent reports 9,11 , a yearly demand of 4 to 5 kt biodegradable plastics for film applications is listed representing 0.3% of the total amount of plastics (including packaging) used in agriculture in Europe per year.In this report, the circularity of plastics for crop production is addressed.Plastic products in open field and horticulture represent 18% of the total amount of plastics entering the agri-sector in Europe.Detailed information on differences between EU members is not available at present, but it is known that plastic use in the agricultural sector differs substantially from one country to another.Nevertheless, the general current situation on an EU level and the identified environmental risks originating from the use of plastics in agriculture underline the urgency to develop specific routes to more sustainable use of plastics on a national level.58% packaging 0.5% oxo-degradable 23% livestock production 18% crop production 0.3% biodegradable