Barriers, Drivers and Opportunities for Valorization of Agricultural Plastic Waste

Abstract

The rise in world population and its corresponding demand for increased food production has led to the widespread adoption of plastics in modern farming techniques. Non-existent or inadequate approaches to recovery, recycling and reclamation of agricultural plastic waste has led to the accumulation of these residues in landfills and/or their improper disposal, exacerbating environmental problems, particularly soil and water pollution, and threatening ecosystems and their services. Such inappropriate waste management approaches and their im-pact on soil and water health will ultimately pose a threat to food security. This work aims providing an overview on current Nacional/ European/International methodologies, policy instruments and management tools applied to collection, recycling and valorization of agricultural plastics. The work will in addition iden-tify current Portuguese Legislation gaps in this area and provide guidance on possible solutions specifically, policy instruments and regulatory frameworks, collection schemes and technical approaches for valorization of agricultural plastic waste and soil remediation approaches.