In light of the growing plastic waste problem worldwide, including in agriculture, this study focuses on the usefulness of both conventional, non-degradable plastics and environmentally friendly bioplastics in the agricultural sector. Although conventional plastic products are still essential in modern, even ecological agriculture, the increasing contamination by these materials, especially in a fragmented form, highlights the urgent need to search for alternative, easily biodegradable materials that could replace the non-degradable ones. According to the literature, polymers are widely used in agriculture for the preparation of agrochemicals (mostly fertilizers) with prolonged release. They also play a role as functional polymers against pests, serve as very useful super absorbents of water to improve crop health under drought conditions, and are commonly used as mulching films, membranes, mats, non-woven fabrics, protective nets, seed coatings, agrochemical packaging, or greenhouse coverings. This widespread application leads to the uncontrolled contamination of soil with disintegrated polymeric materials. Therefore, this study highlights the possible applications of bio-based materials as alternatives to conventional polyolefins or other environmentally persistent polymers. Bio-based polymers align with the strategy of innovative agricultural advancements, leading to more productive farming by reducing plastic contamination and adverse ecotoxicological impacts on aquatic and terrestrial organisms. On the other hand, advanced polymer membranes act as catching agents for agrochemicals, protecting against environmental intoxication. The global versatility of polymer applications in agriculture will not permit the elimination of already existing technologies involving polymers in the near future. However, in line with ecological trends in modern agriculture, more “green” polymers should be employed in this sector. Moreover, we highlight that more comprehensive legislative work on these aspects should be undertaken at the European Union level to guarantee environmental and climate protection. From the EU legislation point of view, the implementation of a unified, legally binding system on applications of bio-based, biodegradable, and compostable plastics should be a priority to be addressed. In this respect, the EU already demonstrates an initial action plan. Unfortunately, these are still projected directions for future EU policy, which require in-depth analysis.

Blends of poly(lactic acid) (PLA) with poly(propylene carbonate) (PPC) are currently in the phase of intensive study due to their promising properties and environmentally friendly features. Intensive study and further commercialization of PPC-based polymers or their blends, as usual, will soon face the problem of their waste occurring in the environment, including soil. For this reason, it is worth comprehensively studying the degradation rate of these polymers over a long period of time in soil and, for comparison, in phosphate buffer to understand the difference in this process and evaluate the potential application of such materials toward agrochemical and agricultural purposes. The degradation rate of the samples was generally accompanied by weight loss and a decrease in molecular weight, which was facilitated by the presence of PPC. The incubation of the samples in the aqueous media yielded greater surface erosions compared to the degradation in soil, which was attributed to the leaching of the low molecular degradation species out of the foils. The phytotoxicity study confirmed the no toxic impact of the PPC on tested plants, indicating it as a “green” material, which is crucial information for further, more comprehensive study of this polymer toward any type of sustainable application.

The aim of this work is research dedicated to the search for new bactericidal systems for use in cosmetic formulations, dermocosmetics, or the production of wound dressings. Over the last two decades, chitosan, due to its special biological activity, has become a highly indispensable biopolymer with very wide application possibilities. Reports in the literature on the antibacterial effects of chitosan are very diverse, but our research has shown that they can be successfully improved through chemical modification. Therefore, in this study, results on the synthesis of new chitosan-based Schiff bases, dCsSB-SFD and dCsSB-PCA, are obtained using two aldehydes: sodium 4-formylbenzene-1,3-disulfonate (SFD) and 2-pyridine carboxaldehyde (PCA), respectively. Chitosan derivatives synthesized in this way demonstrate stronger antimicrobial activity. Carrying out the procedure of grafting chitosan with a caproyl chain allowed obtaining compatible blends of chitosan derivatives with κ-carrageenan, which are stable hydrogels with a high swelling coefficient. Furthermore, the covalently bounded poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) chain improved the solubility of obtained polymers in organic solvents. In this respect, the Schiff base-containing polymers obtained in this study, with special hydrogel and antimicrobial properties, are very promising materials for potential use as a controlled-release formulation of both hydrophilic and hydrophobic drugs in cosmetic products for skin health.

Olive mill wastewater (OMW) represents a toxic waste generated during olive oil production (30 million m³/year). Its phytotoxicity and resistance to biodegradation are mainly due to the presence of polyphenols. Methodologies able to remove these organic compounds from this waste to allow the safe dispose of OMW have been developed, and among them, the most effective are oxidation procedures. In this context, we propose an alternative chemical treatment based on the oxidation of OMW using diluted hydrogen peroxide and seleno-organic compounds (diphenyl diselenide and diseleno-bis-benzoic acid) selected as eco-friendly bioinspired catalysts. The effectiveness of the protocol was monitored by Folin–Ciocalteu (F-C) quantification and NMR quantification. The results demonstrated that the greatest reduction in the total phenols content—up to 96%—was achieved using the highest concentrations of catalyst (0.6% _w/w) and oxidant (10% _v/v). Moreover, a toxicological evaluation was carried out using the marine bacteria Aliivibrio fischeri, revealing a significant decrease in toxicity. The EC₅₀ value increased from 0.089 mg/L in the untreated OMW to 18.740 mg/L in the treated sample after removal of the residual catalyst and peroxides.

The aim of this work is research dedicated to the search for new bactericidal systems for use in cosmetic formulations, dermocosmetics, or the production of wound dressings. Over the last two decades chitosan due to its special biological activity, has become a highly indispensable biopolymer with very wide application possibilities. Literature reports on the antibacterial effects of chitosan are very diverse, but our research has shown that they can be successfully improved through chemical modification. Therefore, in this study, results on the synthesis of new Schiff bases chitosan – dCsSB-SFD and dCsSB-PCA obtained using two aldehydes: sodium 4-formylbenzene-1,3-disulfonate (SFD) and 2-pyridine carboxaldehyde (PCA) respectively. Chitosan derivatives synthesized in this way demonstrate stronger antimicrobial activity. Carrying out the procedure of grafting chitosan with a caproyl chain allowed obtaining compatible blends of chitosan derivatives with κ-carrageenan, which are stable hydrogels with a high swelling coefficient. Furthermore, covalently bounded PCL improved the solubility of obtained polymers in organic solvents. With this respect, the Schiff base-containing polymers obtained in this study, with special hydrogel and antimicrobial properties are very promising materials for the potential use as a controlled-release formulation of both, hydrophilic and hydrophobic drugs in cosmetic products for skin health.