"Improved End-of-Life of Plastic Mulches"; illustration of large strawberry with tractor tilling mulch into a strawberry field.

Soil-Biodegradable Plastic Mulches (BDMs) Commercially Available in the U.S.

Summary

This factsheet provides information about commercially available soil-biodegradable plastic mulch (BDM) currently available in the United States, including polymers commonly used in their manufacture. Certified BDM products supported by biodegradation testing and standards are presented in one table, while commercially available BDMs without certification are listed in a separate table. Some products may claim to be allowable in organic farming, but to date none are allowed in the U.S.

Project funding acknowledgement

Overview

The goal of this factsheet is to provide growers with clear and accessible information about soil-biodegradable plastic mulch (BDM) products currently available in the United States. All information presented has been compiled from publicly available sources, including supplier and manufacturer websites, as well as direct communication with manufacturers. Certified BDM products supported by biodegradation testing and standards are presented in one table, while commercially available BDMs without certification are listed in a separate table.

All information is based on referenced sources and does not reflect direct user experience or evaluation. Some of the products listed may still be undergoing certification processes. The information provided is accurate to the best of our knowledge as of the publication date. Mention of product names is not an indication of university endorsement nor promotion. Some products may claim to be acceptable for use in organic farming, however, to date no soil-biodegradable or compostable plastics are allowed for use in organic farming in the U.S. Growers should always confirm approval with their specific certifier before applying any product to organic production.

Product Information

Commonly used polymers in commercially available biodegradable plastic films include TPS, PCL, PBAT, PHA, PLA, and PBS (see definitions in Table 1). Some biodegradable polymers are biobased while others are not. For example, TPS (thermoplastic starch) is biobased, and PBAT (poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate)) is not biobased, though both are biodegradable and free of phthalates. One notable resin, Mater-Bi, is composed of PBAT and TPS and is fully biodegradable and compostable.

Table 2 and Table 3 present key product information and characteristics for the BDMs. The following descriptions define column headings for these two tables.

Product Name is the commercial name of the soil-biodegradable plastic mulch (BDM). The Supplier is the company responsible for distributing the BDM product, while the Manufacturer is the entity that produces the mulch film. Biodegradable plastics are the polymers used to make the BDM as listed by the source or manufacturing company. Product Claims include the product attributes listed on the suppliers’ website, such as color options, degradation timelines, and lifespan.

Certification refers to the process by which an independent, third-party organization verifies that a polymer or a product meets specific claims or standards. For soil-biodegradable plastics, one of the most widely accepted certifications is the ‘Biodegradable SOIL’ certification issued by TÜV Austria. Another certification widely used in Europe is ‘Biodegradable in soil’ issued by DIN CERTCO under DIN EN 17033. It is important to note that if a biodegradable plastic is certified as compostable, this does not mean that is soil-biodegradable. It is also important to note that while ASTM International (formerly the American Society for Testing and Materials) has standards like ASTM D6400 for compostable plastics, the U.S. does not have a standard or certificate for soil-biodegradable plastics and so only European certifications are available.

It is also important to distinguish between certification, testing, and standards. Certification involves independent verification, testing refers to the procedures and methodologies used to evaluate a product, and standards define the specific criteria a product must meet. Certification information in our tables is presented by the manufacturer on their website or provided through direct communication with company representatives.

Table 1

Common Polymers in Biodegradable Plastic

Acronym	Polymer
TPS	Thermoplastic starch
PCL	Poly(ε-caprolactone)
PBAT	Poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate)
PHA	Polyhydroxyalkanoates
PLA	Polylactic acid
PBS	Polybutylene succinate

Rows of onion plants on mulched beds in a field — Figure 1. A field of green onions grown with soil-biodegradable mulch in Connecticut.

Soil-Biodegradable Plastic Mulches with Relevant Certification in the United States

The mulch products in Table 2 are certified BDM products supported by biodegradation testing and standards.

Table 2

List of certified soil-biodegradable plastic mulches (BDMs) in the USA marketplace.

Product Name	Supplier	Biodegradable plastics	Certification	Product Claims	Manufacturer
BioGuard	Brookdale Farm Supplies Nolt’s Produce Supplies PolyExpert (direct sale or recommended distributor)	Mater-Bi (PBAT + TPS)¹ Ecovio (PBAT + PLA)	TÜV Austria OK Biodegradable SOIL certified¹ EN 13432 ASTM D6400²	Color options: Biodegradable films in black, white on black, gray on black.² Degradation/lifespan: Degradability begins approx. 4-5 months at 0.6 mil and 5-6 months at 0.8 mil thicknesses depending on film thickness and climatic conditions.²	PolyExpert
Biosol	SPR Packaging²	Not specified	TÜV Austria OK Biodegradable SOIL certified² EN 17033²	Color options and degradation/lifespan: Not specified on manufacturer website. Sales claims: Mulch degrades by organic decomposition. Non-contaminating, efficient for crops.²	Solplast (plastic division of Armando Alvarez Group)
Reyfilm Bio	SPR Agri²	Not specified	TÜV Austria OK Biodegradable SOIL Certification²	Color options: Available in black, white/black, and clear. Degradation/lifespan: Duration of the film varies on environmental factors, and thickness of the film. Sales claims: Use 0.6 mil for crops lasting 2-6 months, use 0.8 mil for crops lasting 9-12 months.²	Reyenvas (manufacturer belonging to the Armando Alvarez Group)
Bio360³	Berry Hill Drip Dubois Agrinovation Brookdale Farm Supplies	Mater-Bi (PBAT +TPS)¹	ASTM D6400 BPI Certified EN13432 EN 17033 TÜV Austria OK Biodegradable SOIL certified²	Color options: Berry Hill has Bio360 in black, white on black, and clear with variation in film thickness.² Dubois Agrinovation offers Bio360 in black on white, clear, black, and white on black with a variation in films sizes.² Degradation/lifespan: Degrades in soil less than 2 years, based on film thickness; starts approx. 4-5 months at 0.6 mil and 5-6 months at 0.8 mil thicknesses.²	Houston Poly

Provided through direct communication with the manufacturing company.
Information from suppliers and manufacturing companies’ websites.
The primary feedstock used in Bio360 is certified as soil-biodegradable, suggesting that the final product is likely to meet the criteria for soil biodegradable certification; however, Bio360 itself has not yet obtained this certification.

Biodegradable Plastic Mulches without Relevant Certifications in the United States

There are biodegradable plastic mulches without relevant certifications being marketed in the U.S. and we recommend caution using such products as they may not be soil-biodegradable. Some of the products listed in Table 3 may still be in the process of obtaining certification and may or may not be soil-biodegradable. If you have had a positive experience with a product that has not yet been certified, we do not discourage its use.

Some of these products are certified compostable, but compost conditions are not equivalent to soil conditions. Other products that are not listed here are made with polyethylene and starch, such that when the starch biodegrades the polyethylene pieces remain. Some products also not listed are oxo-degradable and these are often incorrectly marketed as biodegradable, but they do not biodegrade in soil, and contribute to microplastic generation. Oxo-degradable plastic has been banned in Europe. For more information regarding Oxo-degradable plastic mulches, see Oxo-degradable Plastics Risk Environmental Pollution.

Table 3

List of degradable plastic mulches in the U.S. marketplace that are not certified soil-biodegradable

Product Name	Supplier	Biodegradable Plastics	Certification	Product Claims	Manufacturer
Bio-Gold	Rain-Flo Irrigation	Not specified	No biodegradable certification available	Color options: Available in black, and white/black. Sales claims: Average breakdown begins at 6 mo. depending on soil microbe levels.¹ Relies on microbes in the soil to biodegrade and change the film to carbon dioxide¹	FilmTech
Film Organic	FilmOrganic Rain-Flo Irrigation	Not specified	TÜV Austria Certification, industrially compostable 7P2372²	Color options: Biodegradable films in black, white on black, and clear. Degradation/lifespan: Lifespans ranging from 2-15 months. No residues in the field after 6 months¹	FilmOrganic
Film Organic Solafilm	Rain-Flo Irrigation	Not specified	No biodegradable certification available	Color options: Available in black, and white/black. Sales claims: Film starts to breakdown in about 4 months. Acts like a natural fertilizer.¹	FilmOrganic
Sotrafilm Biodegradable	SPR Packaging²	Biopolymer film made with biodegradable and renewable raw materials	No biodegradable certification available	Color options: Available in black. Sales claims: Biodegradation begins on the buried part after 2-3 months and it is totally completed after 6-8 months.¹ The film is especially design for when an herbicidal effect is required.	Sotrafa Global Solutions
Organic Guard	FilmOrganic	Made from corn, biodegradable bioplastics, and minerals²	Not certified yet²	Color options: Green.¹ Sales claims: Expected degradation 3-5 years based on type of product.¹ Biodegradable membrane designed for arboriculture¹	FilmOrganic

Product certifications are subject to change. Users are advised to verify the current status of any product before use.
Information from suppliers and manufacturing companies’ websites.

Use Caution Advisory Statement

All information provided is based on referenced sources and does not reflect direct user experience or product evaluation. The inclusion of product names does not imply endorsement or promotion by the university. Organic growers should always confirm approval with their specific certifier before applying any product to organic production. We advise caution when using products that lack certification regarding soil-biodegradability. Mulch manufacturers and suppliers should have their products tested by a third-party entity to ensure their product is fully soil-biodegradable and is not contributing to plastic pollution.

Practical Tip for Growers

Confirm certification. Ask for documentation of the exact certification and film thickness. Keep records on file.
Avoid oxo‑degradable plastics. These are not the same as biodegradable and they fragment into microplastics.
Match film to crop and season. Consider durability needed for your climate, crop cycle length, and retrieval plans if any.
Field test before scaling-up. Trial a few beds in your soil and climate to verify laying, planting, and in‑season performance.
Talk with your certifier. Policies and allowances can change; confirm use in your production system.

Acknowledgements

Special thanks to Dan Martens, Pierre Sarazin, and Trevor Hardy for their valuable insights and constructive feedback that contributed to strengthening this factsheet.

Useful Links

For more information, you can visit the following online resources that are links to external sites, which are provided for the convenience of readers. The University of Connecticut and Washington State University do not manage, control, or take responsibility for the content of external sites. These external sites do not implicitly or explicitly represent official positions and policies of either university.

Bio360

BioGuard

FilmOrganic

This material is based upon work that is supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, under award numbers 2022-51181-38325 & 2016-51181-25404, Hatch Projects 7005372 and 7003737, and CPPM award 2021-70006-35582. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and should not be construed to represent any official USDA or U.S. Government determination or policy. Additional support provided by WSARE under award 2019-51181-30012.

U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Institute of Food and Agriculture

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