Plastic is a vital material in our economy and daily lives. Unfortunately, it is associated with high levels of waste and leakage to the environment. For instance, plastic debris and especially microplastics (particles less than 5 mm in size) can be found in agricultural soils – from silage bags and greenhouse cover films to sewage sludge and compost. The EU-funded SOPLAS project will assemble a multidisciplinary team to study the nexus of plastic–agriculture–soil. It will also train a new generation of leading experts. The project aims to identify the plastic cycle within agricultural soil systems and support the development of environmental policies related to mitigating the impact of plastics. The findings will advance our knowledge about the sustainable use of plastics in European agriculture.
