The European Union is intensifying efforts to confront the environmental crisis posed by plastic pollution, targeting a 20% reduction in fossil-based plastics production and a 30% decrease in microplastic emissions by 2030. Agricultural plastics, extensively used worldwide for applications such as mulch films, seedling protectors, and fertiliser coatings, represent a significant contributor to this contamination. These materials frequently escape collection and end up degrading in soils, releasing persistent microplastics that threaten ecosystems and soil health. Addressing the urgent need for sustainable alternatives, the INSOIL project emerges as a pioneering initiative dedicated to developing bio-based and biodegradable plastic products designed specifically for agricultural applications.
INSOIL is a collaborative European venture uniting 16 research centres from eight countries, coordinated by the Institute of Packaging, Transport and Logistics Technology, an affiliated unit of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC). The Universitat Jaume I of Castelló plays a central role in this consortium, with its advanced Polymer and Biochemistry research groups contributing deep material science and plant immunity expertise. The project’s ambition lies not only in material innovation but in creating functional plastic prototypes that integrate bioactive compounds to promote soil health and crop productivity in practical farming environments across southern and northern Europe.
At the heart of INSOIL’s strategy is the development of three families of fully bio-based plastic products with built-in soil biodegradability. These include mulch films that cover soil to conserve moisture and suppress weeds, seedling protectors that enhance plant establishment, and innovative coatings for controlled-release fertilisers. Unlike conventional plastics, these biomass-derived materials are engineered to biodegrade rapidly and safely in soil after fulfilling their agricultural function, eliminating residual plastic pollution and microplastic fragmentation.
The raw materials for these novel plastics represent a diverse palette of second- and third-generation bio-resources. The feedstock includes carbon dioxide emissions captured from biogenic sources, lignocellulosic residues from pulp and forestry industry waste streams, by-products from agricultural and food processing sectors, as well as microalgal and microbial biomass cultivated for their rich biopolymer content. Harnessing such varied and renewable inputs addresses resource circularity and lessens dependence on food crops for bioplastics production.
A cornerstone of the material formulation is the use of polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs), a class of naturally occurring biopolymers synthesized by microorganisms. PHAs possess inherent biodegradability both in soil and aquatic environments, with documented pathways for microbial assimilation leading to complete mineralization. Their mechanical properties can be tailored by co-polymerization and blending, making them promising candidates to replace conventional polyethylene and polypropylene in agricultural films.
Beyond the physical plastic substrates, INSOIL is integrating functional bioactive products within these materials to create multifunctional agricultural aids. These active agents include organic nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium (NPK) fertilisers embedded within biodegradable fertiliser coatings, biostimulants derived from microalgae that enhance plant growth and resilience, and biodegradable plant protection products (PPPs) that reduce dependency on synthetic agrochemicals. This innovative convergence aims not only to minimize plastic waste but also to improve soil ecosystem services and crop performance.
Extensive validation trials with leading fruit and vegetable producers in varied climatic zones will provide critical real-world data on product performance, incorporation logistics, and biodegradation behavior. This on-farm testing is indispensable to ensure that these sustainable solutions meet the operational standards and efficacy required by growers while maintaining environmental integrity.
The Universitat Jaume I team, comprising polymer scientists Luis Cabedo Mas and José Gámez Pérez alongside biochemists Victoria Pastor Fuentes and Jordi Gamir Felip, emphasize that curbing plastic pollution is vital to sustainable agri-food systems. Conventional plastics degrade soil fertility, disrupt microbial biodiversity, and risk bioaccumulation within the food chain—effects that these innovative bio-based films are designed to prevent.
Economically and environmentally, the INSOIL products have the potential to revolutionize agricultural plastics markets. Projections for 2035 estimate a reduction of 5,820 tonnes in microplastic release and a 4,000-tonne cut in agrochemical usage attributable to controlled-release fertilisers. These shifts could yield an impressive 16,000-tonne CO₂ emission reduction alongside €17.4 million in cost savings for Europe’s agricultural sector, indicators of the wider sustainability and circular economy ambitions embedded in the European Green Deal.
INSOIL’s cross-disciplinary and multinational partnership spans industry, academia, and agricultural stakeholders. Besides the Universitat Jaume I and the Institute of Packaging, Transport and Logistics Technology, members include entities from Italy, Germany, France, Croatia, Sweden, Belgium, Finland, and Norway. This collaborative network ensures that innovations are applicable across diverse European agronomic systems and policy environments.
The project is funded under the Horizon Europe programme’s HORIZON-JU-CBE-2024 call, focusing on innovative actions in food, bioeconomy, natural resources, agriculture, and the environment. Its outcomes aim to set new industry benchmarks for bio-based agricultural materials, accelerating the transition toward carbon-neutral, circular, and sustainable food production chains.
In conclusion, INSOIL marks a significant advance in tackling the intertwined challenges of plastic pollution and sustainable agriculture through cutting-edge materials science and bioactive integration. By leveraging microbial biopolymers and renewable biomass streams to replace conventional plastics with functionally superior and environmentally benign alternatives, the project offers a scalable and impactful path toward protecting soil ecosystems and securing Europe’s agricultural future.
Subject of Research: Development of fully bio-based, soil-biodegradable plastic products for sustainable agricultural production.
Article Title: Revolutionizing Agricultural Plastics: The INSOIL Project’s Bio-Based, Biodegradable Solutions for Sustainable Farming.
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Image Credits: Universitat Jaume I of Castellón
Keywords: Bio-based plastics, biodegradable polymers, agriculture, polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA), soil health, microplastics pollution, controlled-release fertilisers, microalgae biostimulants, sustainable farming, circular economy, Horizon Europe, European Green Deal.
