Low density polyethylene (LDPE) films are widespread used in agriculture
for soil mulching. The use of LDPE mulching films causes the serious drawback of
huge quantities of waste to be disposed of. Over the last years the growing
environmental awareness has been prompting the research to develop a new
generation of mulching products starting with raw materials from renewable origin.
These materials have to retain their physical and mechanical properties while in use
and have to be compostable or biodegradable at the end of their life, degrading via
micro-organisms into carbon dioxide or methane, water and biomass. The research
is focused on the development of novel biodegradable polymeric materials based on
hydrolyzed proteins, derived from waste products of the leather industry.
Biodegradable soil mulching coatings were realized with these biodegradable
polymeric materials by means of spray techniques; the coatings were tested in a
Ligustrum ovalifolium cultivation carried out inside a greenhouse. This paper
describes the functionalities of the new bio-based mulching coatings, which were
developed and tested in real scale greenhouse cultivation tests. During the trial, the
biodegradable soil mulching materials showed suitable properties for an efficient
and profitable use in agriculture. The innovative biodegradable spray coatings
lasted up to 18 months. The biodegradable materials could be the environmentally
friendly alternatives to synthetic petro-chemical polymers and could contribute to a
sustainable agriculture