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Tag Archives plastics

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Crops

How microplastics are making their way into our farmland

Across nine provinces and 22 wastewater treatment plants, the problem was universal

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Microplastic pollution is a global environmental problem that is ubiquitous in all environments, including air, water and soil. Microplastics are readily found in treated wastewater sludge, also known as municipal biosolids, that eventually make their way to our agricultural soils. Our recent investigation of microplastic levels in Canadian municipal biosolids found that a single gram […] Read more
News

Dow signs bio-plastics agreement 

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U.S. chemical maker Dow has signed a long-term supply agreement with bioconversion company New Energy Blue for plastic materials made from corn residue, in its move to renewable energy sources for production.  Under the agreement, Dow will support design of New Energy’s Iowa ethanol facility which aims to process 275 kilotons of corn stalks and […] Read more
agricultural plastic
News

U of G team trying to develop biodegradable agriculture plastics

Small-scale on-farm trials with silage covers and mulch show potential

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Research at the University of Guelph aims to perfect a biodegradable film that could eliminate the need to find a recycling market or contribute to landfill waste for plastic bunk silo covers and horticultural mulch. The work is being led by associate professor of engineering Dr. Erica Pensini with collaboration from Prof. Alejandro Marangoni in […] Read more
Materials used to store forages, such as bale wrap and netting, pose an environmental problem because they cannot be recycled and end up in landfill. A pilot program by Cleanfarms is hoping this can change.
Livestock

Recycling struggles to keep pace with increased plastic use for forages

Pilot recycling program and newly-available materials with post-consumer plastics could help reduce environmental footprint

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Technologies for wrapping, covering and storing corn silage and other forage crops continue to evolve, but efforts to limit the long-term effects of those technologies on the environment haven’t kept pace. But that hasn’t stopped environmentally conscious stakeholders in the sector from trying to do their part. Globally, an Israel-based leader in agriculture plastics is […] Read more
A fertilizer-from-plastics circular system.
News

Plant from plastics: bio-based polymers transformed into fertilizer

Science Notes: The new system can help fight pollution and resource depletion

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Plastics have taken the world by storm over the last century, finding applications in virtually every aspect of our lives.  However, the rise of these synthetic polymers, which form the basis of plastics, has contributed to many serious environmental issues. The worst of these is the excessive use of petrochemical compounds and the disposal of […] Read more

Cyber-Savvy Farmer

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