WATCH: Biobased Plastics in Agriculture
Most everyday plastics are made from fossil fuels meaning they’re non-renewable, carbon-intensive, and long-lasting in the environment. Bio-based plastics are made from renewable materials and they can reduce emissions and plastic pollution, while supporting a circular bioeconomy.
SAMCO is a Limerick-based company demonstrating biobased innovation in the agri-food sector. The company manufactures biobased, biodegradable plastic films for use in crop cultivation, among other things.
These films act like ‘mini-greenhouses’, enhancing germination and increasing crop yields—especially for crops like maize. While rows of white plastic may be a familiar sight in Irish fields each spring, many people may not realise that this film is made from resources such as grain starch and vegetable oils.
Ongoing research and innovation in Ireland and Europe is striving to make biobased plastics even more functional, circular, and socially acceptable.
This is the bioeconomy in action: supporting farmers with innovative solutions and boosting agricultural sustainability.
