How sustainable biodegradable and renewable mulch films are? A quantitative approach in the light of sustainable development goals

The mulch film recovered at the end of the growing cycle is generally highly contaminated. This makes mechanical recycling difficult and landfilling or incineration may be necessary. Sometimes plastic films are not properly recycled, but burned in the field or landfilled uncontrolled or left in the ground. These practices are at the origin of environmental, economic and social concerns of the Xinjiang Autonomous Region (China). In contaminated areas, residual plastic film mulch levels can reach 200 kg ha^‑1 with adverse effects on soil quality and fertility. Replacing existing non-biodegradable plastic mulch films with biodegradable films can be a valuable contribution. A renewable and biodegradable mulch, Mater-Bi (produced by Novamont), was analysed. The goal was to demonstrate how biodegradable and renewable mulch films can be a feasible and sustainable solution.