A Voluntary Code of Conduct (VCoC) on the sustainable use of plastics in agriculture may be effectively implemented only when all players along the agro-plastics chain (production/use/retrieving/recycling) would be effectively involved. Basing on the scientifical/technical experience, gained even during several national/international relevant Projects, this means that:
-) Manufacturing industries: they should produce agro-plastics on the base of a specific design i.e., considering technical parameters set on the specific conditions in which that material will be employed - e.g.: geographical location and relevant climatic conditions; typology of agricultural application (crops, animal, etc.); possible agrochemicals employed during crop production; recycling options (design-for-recycling); other socio/economic/technical/agronomic conditions; etc. (please refer to my scientific publication, here attached);
-) Public institutions: they would create and support systems with relevant guidelines for the traceability of agro-plastics (exploiting advanced technologies, e.g.: Bar/QR-Codes; Tags; RFID; etc.), so as to organize the timely collection and entrainment of post-consumer agro-plastics towards disposal facilities, immediately after the end of their working life, so contributing to the implementation of a Circular Economy as well;
-) Private stakeholders along the agro-plastic chain (distributors; dealers; waste collectors; recyclers/disposers; etc.): they would spontaneously join the recovery and recycling scheme, attracted by an interest from their proactive involvement in the material traceability process and economic revenues arising from transforming that plastic material into a new commodity;
-) Farmers, foresters and fishers - even through their Associations/Cooperatives: they should be specifically trained to install, manipulate and finally collect/sorting the post-consumer material, so as to optimize its routing towards the best disposal solution. The proactive involvement of farmers is the fundamental and decisive factor, to contribute to reduce the plastic footprint of agriculture, a serious environmental problem that, to be solved, needs primarily a technical approach (anyway based on scientific results). First outcomes gained during the training activities of the TANGO-Circular Project (https://tango-circularproject.eu/) financed by the EU Erasmus+ Programme, are confirming the essential role that farmers can play in creating suitable conditions for solving this serious environmental problem, finding at the same time opportunities for new revenues, gained through transforming a “waste” into a new resource. (Training modules freely available after registering on the Project e-learning platform, at: https://tangocircularproject-vle.eu/).
The submission template will follow soon.
Prof. Pietro Picuno – University of Basilicata (Italy) – [email protected]
Prof. Pietro Picuno