Improving Sustainability and Efficiency in Horticulture with Degradable Lignin-Polymer Containers

The marketplace adoption of bioplastics over petroleum-based plastics is gaining pace andpopularity in part from increased regulation but also as a result of grassroots efforts and emergingcorporate sustainability environmental and human health concerns. Within this material subsetexists bio-based biodegradable plastics. These materials are often used in agricultural applicationssuch as plastic mulch film plant containers seed trays and many small items like vine clips andtwine. In horticulture the promise of biodegradable bioplastics carry a massive benefit for planthealth and sustainability but they are plagued by poor durability and high costs - generally 2-3xtheir petroleum counterparts. The US alone consumes over 5 billion petroleum-based plasticcontainers each year (750000 metric tons of plastic) resulting in $3.8 billion spent on containersand scalable solutions are needed to address this problem.In this proposal our goal is to investigate the performance of lignin-polymer-based horticulturalcontainers. We will evaluate container durability during transplanting irrigation and automatedprocesses. We will also focus on potential benefits to plant health measuring plant size aestheticsroot structure and soil microbial population and water nutrient content. To test these variables weare planning to conduct two greenhouse production trials with three container types and 3-4 short- cycle plant species. When commercialized lignin-polymer containers can be used in commercialgreenhouses around the world. Successful implementation of our materials into horticulture is astepping stone to produce a larger portfolio of products addressing the over $12.5 billion inagricultural plastics. This opportunity exists as farms and nurseries across the country are highlyinterested in new biodegradable plastic solutions in the field that have tunable switchablebiodegradation.