For the cultivation of greenhouse fruit and vegetables: plant clips made of certified industrial compostable biopolymer
For the sustainable cultivation of greenhouse fruit and vegetables, BASF has developed a certified industrial compostable biopolymer that can be used to manufacture black and white plant clips. With clips made of ecovio® 60 IA 1552 annual creepers like tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers can be easily fastened in commercial greenhouses. The clips benefit from the biopolymer’s balanced high performance of strength and flexibility, while being certified industrial compostable according to EN 13432. Thus they can be collected together with the plant residues after harvesting and put into organics recycling in industrial composting facilities where they biodegrade. With this end-of-life option for clips, persistent microplastic in green waste usually caused by clips made of polyethylene (PE) or polypropylene (PP) can be avoided. At the same time more green waste can be turned into valuable compost contributing to a circular economy.