Mulching: Challanges and opportunities for papermakers

Different type of mulches are used in agri- and horticulture to prevent weed growth, soil erosion, leach of nutrients and for control of moisture and temperature of the soil. The presently used mulches are predominantly polyethylene plastic films. Use of polyethylene plastic mulch films is increasing rapidly and globally more than 80 000 km2 of farm land is covered every year by those plastic mulch films. As polyethylene is not biodegradable polyethylene plastic mulch films should be removed from the fields after every cultivation season. This is costly and often difficult to do properly. Increased use of polyethylene mulch films in agri- and horiticuluture has resulted in severe spoilage of farm lands and littering of rural environments by plastic film waste. Biodegradable plastic mulch films are already in the markets by they are often too costly for the farmers. A solution which was developed by VTT and University of Helsinki in Agripap-project is low cost, well performing paper mulch which after cultivation season is tilled into soil where it biodegrades.