Biopots-supporting agroforestry and reducing single use plastics waste in East Africa
快活影院鈥檚 BioComposites Centre is working with partners in Uganda and Kenya to develop Biopots, a biodegradable alternative, to replace plastic bags currently used for planting trees.
The combination of climate change and deforestation is contributing to biodiversity loss across the globe. The changing landscape is having a huge impact on many communities with increased rainfall and deforestation over decades, resulting in landslides across upland areas. This can be seen Mount Elgon region of 聽East Africa, which bridges Eastern 聽Uganda and Western Kenya.
To lessen the impact of climate change and deforestation on the landscape in this region, the Welsh Government鈥檚 Wales and Africa programme is collaborating with the Size of Wales charity and the Mt. Elgon Tree Growing Enterprise (METGE). The aim of the project is to grow, and supply tree seedlings to farmers and growers and reforest affected areas in the region, supplying 25 million seedlings by 2025. Each of these tree seedlings is supplied in a single use, polyethylene potting bag. There is no system in place to recycle or re-use these bags, and so they are discarded after the seedlings have been planted. This plastic waste can have a negative impact on waterways, communities and livestock which can ingest the waste causing severe illness and death. Whilst project staff currently do their best to minimise the impact of these plastic bags a better solution is urgently needed.
A research team from 快活影院鈥檚 BioComposites Centre, in collaboration with METGE and the National Agricultural Research Organisation (NARO) in Uganda are collaborating to develop a biodegradable alternative (Biopots)to the fossil fuel derived bags currently used. The Biopots, produced at 快活影院 and incorporating underutilised agricultural crops residues from the Mt. Elgon region have been trialled at different METGE nursery sites in Mbale, Uganda. Research to optimise the durability of these Biopots is ongoing and the School of Natural Sciences at Bangor has also been evaluating their biodegradability and impact on soil health as part of the project. The project team is also looking at using Biopots in the coffee and fruit and vegetables sectors, to replace the single use plastic pots currently used.
Adam Charlton, Senior Research Fellow at 快活影院 who has been leading the project, has returned from Kenya where he has been promoting the Biopots and looking at options to transfer the technology there. The Kenyan Government has an ambitious tree planting programme from 2022-2032 and wants to plant 15 billion trees, with many of these being supplied in plastic potting bags. The project team is working with Nature Lover Consultant in Kenya to establish connections with tree growers, nursery operators and coffee producers in the Kenyan part of the Mount Elgon region. The project team hosted workshops and meetings in Nairobi and Kitale, Western Kenya during the visit to promote the initiative further and foster broader collaboration.
鈥淥ne of the reasons for the meeting in Nairobi is that we want to collaborate with the Kenyan Forest Research Institute to trial the Biopots,鈥 said Adam. 鈥淏ut our material will need to confirm to a Kenyan Government standard linked to biodegradability. An integral part of the project has been engagement with key stakeholders in Kenya, and my trip was important to start that discussion with them.鈥
鈥樷橳he Biopots project has been an international, interdisciplinary collaboration to look at ways to mitigate the impact of plastics waste in East Africa鈥檚 agroforestry sector and develop alternative, more sustainable seedling potting products. The aim will be to establish a manufacturing facility in the region to produce the Biopots -creating new employment opportunities for local communities there.鈥欌
