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Plastic Use in Agriculture: Balancing Benefits, Environmental Impacts, and Sustainable Solutions
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This review examines the benefits and environmental risks of plasticulture, covering how plastic mulches, greenhouse covers, and irrigation systems boost yields while generating microplastic soil contamination, and proposing sustainable alternatives and policy frameworks.
Plastics have become an essential component of modern agriculture, significantly enhancing productivity, improving water efficiency, and protecting crops due to their versatility, durability, and cost-effectiveness. Their widespread use in applications such as plastic mulches, greenhouse covers, irrigation systems, and packaging has revolutionized crop production by boosting yields and aiding pest control. However, the growing reliance on plastics in agriculture, commonly referred to as plasticulture, has raised significant environmental concerns. These include soil contamination, diminished soil fertility, microplastic pollution, and greenhouse gas emissions, all of which pose serious long-term risks to ecosystems. This review offers a comprehensive exploration of plastic use in agriculture, detailing its various applications and the associated environmental challenges. The persistence of plastic waste in soils, waterways, and natural habitats not only leads to pollution and biodiversity loss but also presents potential threats to human health. This review emphasizes the urgent need for sustainable solutions, including effective waste management strategies and advancements in biodegradable and bio-based plastics. It also discusses the potential of recycling technologies and the role of policy reform in minimizing the ecological footprint of agricultural plastics. In conclusion, this review advocates for a balanced approach that maximizes the agronomic benefits of plastics while minimizing their environmental impacts through innovation, research, and the promotion of sustainable agricultural practices.
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This study examined plastic mulch use in agriculture, arguing that short-term crop benefits come with long-term costs as mulch fragments accumulate in soil as microplastics and disrupt soil structure, biology, and water dynamics.
Agricultural plastics and environmental sustainability: Assessment and remediation strategies
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This review examines the environmental and socioeconomic impacts of agricultural plastics including mulch films, irrigation pipes, and greenhouse covers, and evaluates management strategies such as recycling, composting, biodegradable alternatives, and circular economy models for reducing microplastic accumulation.
Plasticultura en México: Impactos Ambientales y Desafíos para la Sostenibilidad
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This systematic review analyzes the environmental impact of agricultural plastic use in Mexico, where over 45,000 hectares use plastic mulches, greenhouse covers, and irrigation systems. Poor management of this agricultural plastic waste contributes to microplastic pollution in soils, which can affect crop quality and potentially enter the food chain.
Advances in the Sustainable Use of Plastics in Horticulture—Perspectives, Innovations, Opportunities, and Limitations
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This review assesses the sustainability of plastic use in horticulture — including mulch films, crop covers, and polytunnels — and evaluates options to reduce, reuse, recycle, or replace them. It matters for microplastics because agricultural plastics left in fields fragment into microplastics that contaminate soil and crops, and the review identifies where biodegradable or alternative materials offer the most practical substitution.
Environmental health implications of plastic use in agriculture
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This review discusses the environmental health implications of plastic use in agriculture, including soil microplastic accumulation from mulch films, microplastic uptake by crops, and potential entry into the food chain. The authors recommend shifting toward biodegradable alternatives and tightening regulations on agricultural plastic disposal.
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