Policy considerations for limiting unintended residual plastic in agricultural soils

Abstract

Growing crops under high-intensity agriculture entails the use of numerous plastic products, especially polyethylene plastic films used as crop mulches. As a result, some of the world’s most productive agricultural soils are now being affected by plastic pollution, seriously threatening soil health and food security. Plastic film mulches designed to biodegrade in soil provide an appealing alternative to polyethylene films. What may be surprising, however, is that biodegradable plastic films do not necessarily represent a long-term solution to the problem of contaminating soil with plastic residues. Transformative science and policies are needed to mitigate uncertainty of biodegradable plastic residue accumulation in agricultural soils.