Prospective Scenarios for Addressing the Agricultural Plastic Waste Issue: Results of a Territorial Analysis

Abstract

Agricultural activities have been positively affected by the use of plastic products, but this has resulted in the production of plastic waste and led to an increase in environmental pollution. To continue benefiting from the use of plastics but addressing at the same time the environmental issue, two strategies seem viable: the development of technologies for extending plastics lifespan and the gradual replacement of traditional non-biodegradable materials by biodegradable ones, at least for some products. This study focuses on a territorial analysis, performed using a Geographic Information System (GIS) in an agricultural area of the Apulia region (southern Italy). Areas of agricultural plastic waste production were identified through land-use maps. The application of plastic waste indices to different crop types and plastic products allowed quantifying and georeferencing actual plastic waste production. From this actual visualization, the other strategies were obtained by properly managing the indices. Two improved scenarios were obtained, the first consisted of extending the lifespan of some plastics, and the second entailed the introduction of some biodegradable alternatives. About 11,103 tons of agricultural plastic waste are yearly produced in the area and 7450 tons come from covering films. Lifespan extension would reduce the annual waste amount by about 25%, while more alternative products are needed to achieve significant results in the second scenario.