PAPILLONS created a digital Atlas of agricultural plastics in Europe. This online tool shows where plastics are most intensively used, where waste is generated, and where soils are most at risk of plastic contamination. For the first time, farmers, researchers, decision makers, and the public have open access to a shared resource that makes the footprint of plastic in agriculture visible and comparable across countries.
The project also carried out the first pan-European survey of microplastic in agricultural soils, sampling seventy sites in seven countries. This revealed the presence of microplastics and plastic chemical additives in farm soils across Europe, sometimes at very high concentrations. The study helped to understand where this plastic comes from, indicating that not only agricultural plastics, but the use of contaminated organic fertilisers and soil amendments, such as sewage sludge and compost, or atmospheric deposition are also important sources.
PAPILLONS conducted an ambitious set of laboratory and field-scale experiments, where microplastics were added to soil to evaluate the effects on soil properties, soil fauna, and crops. Results showed that microplastics from both conventional and biodegradable plastics can alter soil properties, water dynamics, microbiota, invertebrate fauna (such as earthworms), and plants in different conditions. By linking field surveys with laboratory and field experiments, PAPILLONS was able to provide unprecedented insight into how plastics behave and how they impact the ecosystem and potentially crop quality and production. This revealed that negative effects can already be seen at concentration levels that are not uncommon in European soils, ringing an alarm bell.
PAPILLONS ensured farmers (from Finland, Ireland, and Italy) were actively engaged in the project’s working groups by sharing their experiences and providing valuable input for the socio-economic analysis of plastic use in agriculture. Their input helped ground the socio-economic analysis in practical realities. The socio-economic analysis not only revealed hidden trade-offs but also estimated shadow prices of environmental externalities linked to plastic use. This approach enabled a more comprehensive assessment of farm performance and highlighted key areas for improvement.
