A review of agricultural plastic waste generation and consolidation in Europe is presented. A detailed geographical mapping of the agricultural plastic use and waste generation in Europe was conducted focusing on areas of high concentration of agricultural plastics. Quantitative data and analysis of the agricultural plastic waste generation by category, geographical distribution and compositional range, and physical characteristics of the agricultural plastic waste per use and the temporal distribution of the waste generation are presented. Data were collected and cross-checked from a variety of sources, including European, national and regional services and organizations, local agronomists, retailers and farmers, importers and converters. Missing data were estimated indirectly based on the recorded cultivated areas and the characteristics of the agricultural plastics commonly used in the particular regions. The temporal distribution, the composition and physical characteristics of the agricultural plastic waste streams were mapped by category and by application. This study represents the first systematic effort to map and analyse agricultural plastic waste generation and consolidation in Europe.

The use of plastic material in agriculture has been growing during the last decades thanks to the benefits it provides in agricultural production. The durability of plastic films is related to the meteorological and environmental conditions, as well as to the consequence of stress they are subjected to during their operational life. An improvement in the technical design of the agricultural plastic film is connected with a closer link between its chemical formulation and the engineering performance. The present article presents a general review about innovative material and new techniques for mechanical recycling of agricultural plastic film.