ERDE news

News

IK-Initiative ERDE starts collecting mulch film in Germany

Silage films, stretch films, bale nets, baler twine, perforated film, PP non-wovens, asparagus film and mulch film are among the agricultural plastic products collected by the ERDE initiative. © ERDE.

Bad Homburg, April 2022
Seven committed manufacturers of mulch film - Aspla, Groupe Barbier, Daios Plastics, Reyenvas, RKW Agri, Solplast and Sotrafa - will enable farmers to deliver used mulch film at numerous collection points of the ERDE initiative starting this year.

The collection will take place in the form of pilot projects in different growing regions. Collected films will initially be used for recycling trials at certified facilities in Germany and other EU countries. "We are aware that the demand from farmers is high, especially for the return of mulch film. We will use the first collection year to expand the collection point network and create recycling routes," comments RIGK GmbH Managing Director Jan Bauer. "We also want to win other German and international companies as supporters in order to establish a nationwide collection network for mulch film."

For special crops, the ERDE initiative already collects asparagus and perforated film as well as PP non-wovens.
It is estimated that 1800 - 4600 t of mulch film is applied to fields in the Federal Republic of Germany each year. The share of biodegradable mulch film is about 5-10 percent, but is growing strongly. Mulch film is a special challenge for recycling plants due to soil adhesions. In February 2022, the German Bundesrat addressed the recovery of mulch films and passed a resolution calling on the German government to promote mechanical recycling of mulch films. The ERDE initiative can contribute to the solution here.

Herve Clement, Sales Manager of Groupe Barbier: "As an ERDE member and supporter of the voluntary commitment to the BMUV in 2019, we naturally take responsibility for the end-of-life management of our products. The integration of mulch film in the collection system in 2022 is of utmost importance for environmental protection."
The ERDE initiative, which is financially and organizationally supported by manufacturers, will continue to offer farmers and contractors a cost-effective, area-wide return option for various used agricultural plastics in 2022. An app available for download on the ERDE website provides quick and easy information on collection dates and locations in 2022.

More information:
Initiative ERDE
IK Industrievereinigung Kunststoffverpackungen e.V.
Dr. Lorena Fricke
General manager ERDE
Kaiser-Friedrich-Promenade 43
61348 Bad Homburg
Phone +49 (0) 6172 92 66 30