At Australian Bio Plastics, our philosophy and passion is to provide customers with effective and quality products, knowledge and service at all times and a commitment to making a positive impact on the environment, today and in the future.

Australian Bio Plastics is an Australian-owned company established in 2006, specialised in the manufacturing and supplying of genuine biodegradable agricultural mulch film. 

ABP agricultural mulch film is made from Mater-Bi™. Mater-Bi™ is an innovative family of bioplastics, created by Novamont in Italy, that uses components obtained from plants, such as cellulose, glycerin, natural fillers and non-GMO starch obtained from various crops. Mater-Bi™ comes in granular form, and is then processed to create products whose properties and characteristics of use are very similar to those of traditional plastics, but at the same time, they are biodegradable and compostable according to Australian and international standards (AS4736-2006, UNI EN 13432). 

How effective is ABP Agricultural Mulch Film?

ABP agricultural mulch film has the same mechanical properties and usage characteristics to those of traditional plastic mulch film, as proven by a wealth of independently collected test data and years of successful use in the field.  It will do the job of traditional plastics film but with many more added benefits to the user and the environment.

What are the advantages of using ABP Mulch Film over traditional plastic?

• ABP Mulch Film is applied using the same farm machinery for plastic film, so nothing changes there, but beyond that come the real benefits
• It allows efficient control of weeds, just like plastic
• Seedling protection: minimise ring-barking as Australian Bioplastics biodegradable mulch film is inherently cooler than traditional plastic films.
• It does not have to be removed or disposed of at the end of the crop cycle. Thanks to its certified capacity to biodegrade when incorporated into the soil, it transforms into organic matter, water and carbon dioxide.
• As the product breathes, unlike plastic film, which does not transpire, condensation is prevented, resulting in less crop damage

By choosing biodegradable mulch film, productivity is maintained, there are saving of time, labour and disposal costs, all with a low environmental impact.

The difference between biodegradation and fragmentation

Biodegradation in the soil is a natural process due to the action of micro-organisms. 

Residual breakdown products of biodegradable films after the cultivation period should not be toxic or persist in the environment, and should be completely transformed into organic substances, water and carbon dioxide by means of soil micro-organisms in a reasonable frame of time.

In the market there are several different mulching film claimed as “biodegradable”, however most of them are oxo-degradable products, composed by traditional plastics material and additives, able to trigger the fragmentation of the films, but not its biodegradation. The resulting plastic fragments will remain in the environment. 

When oxo-degradable plastics are littered and end up in landscape, they are supposed to start to disintegrate due to the effect of additives that trigger breakdown. Consequently, plastic fragments would spread around the surrounding area. As ultimate biodegradability has not been demonstrated for these fragments, there is substantial risk of accumulation of persistent substances in the environment. Small plastic fragments may also ends up in water ways, thus polluting our oceans.

Fully biodegradable agricultural mulch film must comply with Australian standard, AS 4736-2006, and international standards, such as EN 13432.

In order to comply with AS 4736-2006, plastic materials need to meet the following requirements:

• minimum of 90% biodegradation of plastic material within 180 days in compost
• minimum of 90% biodegradation of plastic material should disintegrate into less than 2 mm pieces in compost within 12 weeks
• no toxic effect of the resulting compost on plants and earthworms
• hazardous substances such as heavy metals should not be present above the maximum allowed levels
• plastic materials should contain more than 50% organic materials.

Does ABP Mulch Film come in different thicknesses and widths for diverse applications?

Yes, It does! Our Australian manufactured Film is “made to order” and the different gauges and sizes allow for diverse and specific crop requirements.

Simply discuss your needs with us, and we’re sure to have the product for you.