Agricultural Test Sites

Plastic pollution in the agricultural sector presents a multifaceted challenge, primarily stemming from the widespread use of plastic materials such as greenhouse foils and mulch films.

These plastics, employed extensively for crop production, offer benefits like increased yields and reduced water usage but also pose significant environmental risks. Once these films degrade or are improperly disposed of, they fragment into microplastics, contaminating soil and water, and harming both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Furthermore, the persistent presence of plastic residues in agricultural soils can disrupt soil health and microbial communities, impacting long-term agricultural productivity and sustainability.

INSPIRE will look at the use of PHA for agricultural applications as a bio-based and bio-degradable alternative for mulch films and greenhouse foils. This zero-waste alternative will be tested and implemented in:

• Vienna (Austria), through collaboration with University College for Agricultural and Environmental Education (HAUP), the education and research centre for teachers and advisors in the professional fields of agriculture, forestry, rural home economics and environmental careers. The school will implement the testing of the biodegradable mulch films and greenhouse films developed within the INSPIRE project on their test sites and monitor their properties and performance in agricultural use cases. Together suitable monitoring and performance indicators will be elaborated, applied, and reported to give insights on the replicability of these bio-based products.

• In a further step, potential agricultural demo sites in Greece will be identified from a pool of former cooperations in other EU projects and engaged in the testing and replication activities of the INSPIRE biodegradable mulch films and greenhouse films to further test the replicability of these bio-based products.