this plastic-free agriculture It’s possible thanks to a new biodegradable and compostable material created by a company that is already being applied to crops in regions like Murcia or Navarra. It is a paper for infill floors that replaces traditional plastic.
Smurfit Kappa company is a A new and revolutionary paper that replaces polyethylene and is ideal for agricultural uses requiring this type of material.. Made with long pine fibers from sustainably managed forests in northern Spain, AgroPaper allows for efficient and environmentally friendly mulching. It prevents weed growth but is completely compostable so it does not need to be removed after harvest. It can also be placed together with conventional machines.
AgroPaper is fully compostable according to EN13432 standard and has optimum temperature control so as not to overheat the product like polyethylene. Transport costs are also lower than plasticbecause paper is fully biodegradable and compostable, creating organic matter for the benefit of the soil.
The development of this product is the result of many years of experimentation. Several business groups supporting the Life Agropaper Project with the support of the European Union, CSIC and the Government of Navarra intervened.. The outcome of the investigations was awarded by the Government of Navarra and received one of the European Environment Awards.
According to Iñaki Urdaci, Smurfit Kappa’s marketing manager, the aim is to “contribute to the sustainable development of agriculture with 100% renewable and biodegradable paper solutions that help prevent the generation of plastic waste”.
Representatives of Florette, Grupo AN and Floréale companies also explained in the presentation of the project: “We have applied this material to different types of crops in various geographic locations with different climates, such as Navarra and Murcia.. Florette project manager Hassen Merdassi said, “We observe that paper retains many of the advantages of traditional plastic in its application in agriculture.”
“We know that cover crops are effective at controlling weeds and warming the soil. That’s why we get involved in the Life Agropaper project, testing the paper for lettuce, sweet potato, chives or zucchini. The solution seems very interesting to us because it is a biodegradable, renewable material from sustainable agriculture,” pointed out the person in charge of Floréale in France.
Iñaki Urdaci of Smurfit Kappa added that this project will “contribute to the promotion of the use of vegetable fiber mulch in ways that detract from the use of plastic covers, as well as provide manufacturers with reliable and proven technical information on the feasibility of mulch use in different edafoclimatic conditions and its effect on soils and soils.” its role in possible positive effects on crop health”.
More information about this material at this link.
Information about the trading company in this link.
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Environment department contact address:crisclimatica@prensaiberica.es
Source: Informacion
