Although the agricultural sector is notthe largest user of plastics, their rapid appearance onfarms the world over is quietly turning into a substantialpollution concern. Versatile and economical as they are,plastics are found all over farms. From machines to mulches,they are the stuff of bags and tubs, of tubes and tools, oftags and trays, and of pots and twine. Plastic films areused to cover greenhouses and hug plants around the rootzone. Other kinds of plastics are used as ingredients inchemicals. Farms use millions of tons of plastics each year,costing them billions of dollars, a testament to how usefulthey are. To the extent that they can help to save water,dissuade pests, suppress weeds with less reliance onchemicals or fire, and save fuelby lightening equipment andcontainers, some of their wide-ranging benefits includeecological ones. Yet more than unsightly, discarded plasticscan damage farmland and cause harm to humans and wildlifealike, making their celebrated durability a long-termpollution and public health worry.
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