Brief Description
Redesign, procurement of quality sustainable sources and export of compostable support structures for hops.

Problem
Global mismanaged plastic waste accounted for around 91 million tons in 2016, of which, 31 million tons leaked into the terrestrial environment and 11 million tons into oceanic environments.

Soil is the predominant receptor for agricultural plastic products, both during their intended use and at the end of their useful lives. Once in the environment, plastics can cause harm through physical effects (such as entanglement or entrapment); chemical effects (such as the release of additives or combustion products); and biological effects (such as root impediment or tissue/cellular damage).

Hop Farming is twine intensive and requires intervention to substitute polypropylene string with compostable alternatives. Engineering and Design of special hop string is needed to ensure successful adoption and avoidance of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) in future.

Solution
Alternatives and interventions to improve the circularity and sound management of agricultural plastics are based on the 6R model (Refuse, Redesign, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, and Recover).

Our chosen alternative is Agave Sisal Twine from the Agave Sisalana plant because of its strength, durability, ability to stretch and resistance to weather conditions. It is non-polluting and 100% biodegradable. Once sisal twine end up in the field, it can be used as a compost making it save for the environment.

Our knowledge base was developed for the process to replace current plastic stringing used in the cultivation of hops in South Africa and coir used in the U.S. with an alternative Agave Natural Fiber twine manufactured in Africa.

Tackling agricultural plastic pollution will be a vital measure in helping to deliver the objectives of the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, launched by FAO and the UN Environment Program in 2021 in particular the Sustainable Development Goal 12 – Responsible Consumption and Production, including waste disposal (SDG 12.4).

Result
The company is currently conducting a pilot process and will eventually replace the current 12 million plastic strings used by hop growing communities in South Africa with competitive Biodegradable Agave Natural Fiber Cordage thereby refusing and redesigning agricultural plastics in favour of compostable support structures.

Although replacing the polypropylene twine with Agave twine is a commercial decision, it has a profound impact on the downstream supply chain as it is collected, decorticated and dried in rural communities across Africa, having the potential to alleviate poverty and improve living conditions, ultimately having an impact on a truly circular economy.