10 Reasons Why Plastic Free July Saves our Soils

This month is Plastic Free July and while we quickly think about ditching our plastic bottles and single-use consumables, there are plastic applications in agriculture that could be reduced as well. Moreover, freeing the soil from plastics, like plastic greenhouse covers, is critical for soil health. Here are 10 reasons why plastic undermines soil health.

🌱 10 reasons how plastic undermines Soil health. 🌱

Plastic degrades, it does not disappear. During that progress, plastic is converted in micro plastics, tiny particles that are invisible to the naked eye, but which have a catastrophic impact on the wellbeing of the planet and of people! Here are 10 reasons how those plastic particles undermine soil health.

1.        Microplastics can change the chemical properties of soil, such as soil Ph.

2.        Microplastics can change the physical properties of soil in terms of soil aggregate, porosity and compaction.

3.        This altered soil structure influences the soil water holding capacity and infiltration.

4.        Which in turn can undermine plant root development.

5.        It can even alter plant root growth Patterns and reduce the efficiency in nutrient uptake.

6.        Beyond the physical changes, the chemical properties of plants can also be influenced by microplastics by inhibiting biomass accumulation and inducing a stress response.

7.        Plastic contains chemicals such as chlorine, which can affect the groundwater and hence the plants and micro-organisms that uptake the water.

8.        Chlorine isn’t the only chemical threat from microplastics, when they degrade, their morphed chemical and physical characteristics can cause other toxic effects on the soil and its organisms.

9.        Microplastics influence soil fauna – which are critical for soil health and fertility -, like earthworms, whose burrows appear to be made differently when the soil contains microplastics. Other micro-organisms such as mites and larvae seem to decrease in the presence of microplastics.

10.  And lastly, increasing microplastics concentrations can decrease organic carbon and nitrogen contents.

🌱  Conclusion and Action 🌱

Based on this 10 reasons why plastics undermine soil health, there are some actions you can take. Explore useful information sources such as this one, and uncover the soil health by requesting detailed soil mapping.