Plasticulture is the use of plastic in Agriculture. It may sound wrong in a lot of levels, but plastic is an essential new tool in agriculture. It improves productivity, shortens the growing season and facilitates crop cultivation in non-traditional growing areas. The bale wrap, in particular, is a useful product for wrapping and storing bales of silages. It provides new storage systems for grain crops and forages. This article will look towards the usage and recycling of plastic film as they apply to both forages and grain.
A Little Overview
In 1991, it was estimated that around 2000 tonnes, or 4.4 million pounds, or plastic films were used for the storage of Australian grains and forages. This estimation is approximately 8% of the 24,000 tonnes, or 53 million pounds, of plastic film used in the construction and agricultural sectors. In keeping this perspective, it was only 1.2%of the total plastic film used in Australia back in 1991.
Storage of Grain and Forages
Traditional warehouses for grain and forages are made from steel, wood, and concrete. The use of the bale wrap will continue to grow because of the following reasons:
- Flexible storage options
- Low capital cost
- Marketing of crops stored in film packages
- Making the life of existing storages longer by using bale wrap liners.
What You Can Do with Used Plastic Films
There are five main options for farmers:
- Recycling
- Reusing for other applications
- Burying
- Use as a fuel source
- Send to the nearby landfill
Reusing Your Plastic Film for Other Purposes
Currently, the plastic film has no widespread secondary use on the farm. However, one possibility would be in pillows for free stalls. Current materials used for pillows include ground-up rubber tires and straw. Haylage bags and bale wraps can be reused for up to two or three times, depending on its previous usage. Plastic film from bags, sheets and tubes can be reused for covering piles of hay and wood, machinery, and for protective covers of horizontal silos. The amount of reuse will depend on the severity of holes and tears in the plastic.
Recycling of Plastic Films
Recycling means moving plastic from the agricultural waste stream back into the manufacturing process. To proceed with your recycling, you must have a system or infrastructure in place. Here are some of the list of the necessary components of such a system:
- Collection
- Sorting
- Recycling
- Marketing
To know more about how you can recycle your bale wrap, make sure you visit here. You can also check out some of the agricultural films that we have for sale.
