Mulch films are the third greatest use of plastics in agriculture. Mulch films made with conventional polyethylene are typically burned, buried, stockpiled, or disposed in landfills. None of these disposal methods are environmentally sustainable.
TDPA™ mulch films degrade after their product life; upon completion of biodegradation, they return to nature in the form of carbon dioxide, water and biomass. Moreover, TDPA™ mulch films behave comparably to conventional mulch films and help maximize crop yields, and reduce irrigation and pesticide requirements.
TDPA™ mulch films can be customized in accordance to the growing climate, weather conditions, and crop growing cycle. One of the main challenges affecting the useful life of mulch films is premature degradation due to photo-oxidation. This can be addressed by using customized TDPA™ masterbatches in which UV stabilizer has been included; the customized masterbatch can take into consideration the desired film life, degradation requirements, and environmental conditions of the growing area.
TDPA™ mulch films have been used in the fields for many years with no incidence of bio-toxicity or reduced soil fertility. Mulch films with TDPA™ have undergone rigorous eco-toxicity testing (in accordance with OECD Guideline 208, including seed germination, plant growth and organism (i.e. daphnia & earthworms) survival) and found to be non-toxic in soil.