Biowrap brings landfill - biodegradable innovation to New Zealand farms
In an industry where efficiency and environmental responsibility often seem at odds, Biowrap is taking a practical step towards closing that gap. The New Zealand company is introducing a range of landfill - biodegradable agricultural wraps designed to protect valuable crops while helping to address one of farming’s most stubborn waste problems - plastic disposal.
The idea was born from two decades of first - hand experience in the building industry, where the challenge of sustainable waste management is ever - present. Plastic wrap is used extensively in construction and in most cases it ends up in skips alongside general waste, eventually making its way to landfill. The founders of Biowrap saw parallels between that problem and the issues facing agriculture. In both cases single - use plastics are essential tools, but their disposal has lasting consequences. Determined to find a solution they partnered with Australian company Biogone, which has been developing landfill - biodegradable plastic technology since 2010 for packaging and groundwater testing industries.
What makes Biowrap’s products different is not a compromise in performance, but an added environmental safeguard. The company’s bale net, bale wrap and silage wrap offer the same tensile strength, UV resistance and sealing capability as traditional agricultural plastics. Farmers still get reliable protection for hay and silage, ensuring feed quality is maintained. The difference comes when the product reaches the end of its useful life.
If the wrap is collected and recycled through existing soft plastic programmes, the additive in the plastic does not interfere with that process. However, if it ends up in landfill as around 90 per cent of New Zealand’s plastic waste currently does - the material has been engineered to biodegrade at a rate approximately 90 per cent faster than conventional plastic. Instead of lingering for hundreds of years, the wrap breaks down under modern landfill conditions producing organic matter that can act as a natural fertiliser and biogas that can be captured and used for energy production.
This is a realistic approach for the agricultural sector. As Biowrap points out, single - use plastics are not going away any time soon. The industry is still years away from a fully functioning circular economy and the majority of waste from both urban and rural areas continues to be sent to landfill. Commercial compostable plastics often promoted as a greener alternative, require specific processing environments that are not available in most parts of the country. Without access to the right facilities, these products also end up in landfill where they do not readily break down.
Biowrap’s thinking is that if landfill remains the main destination for used plastic, the most responsible step is to ensure those plastics degrade faster and cleaner. The company’s products do not fragment into microplastics during this process. Instead, microbes in landfill environments are attracted to the organic additive in the plastic. They digest the material by breaking the carbon bonds in the polymer chain, reducing it to non - plastic intermediaries which they then consume. The result is a humus - like organic material and biogas, without the long - term persistence of traditional plastics.
The bale net, made from HDPE comes in a standard white finish, with other colours available on special order. It is UV resistant, has an indefinite shelf life and offers the same tensile strength as conventional netting. Designed for wrapping hay and silage, each roll measures 1.23 metres in width, weighs 40 kilograms and runs to 3,000 metres in length. Once disposed of in a modern landfill, the biodegradation process is activated.
The bale wrap film is available in light green with the hay wrap size at 375 millimetres wide, 1,500 metres long and 25 microns thick. It protects bales from UV damage, moisture and other environmental factors while also offering recyclability where facilities exist. Like the bale net, the biodegradation process only begins in the microbe - rich environment of a landfill. The wrap retains the same durability and storage performance as conventional products, making the transition from traditional plastics seamless for farmers.
For silage, Biowrap offers a machine roll film, also in light green measuring 750 millimetres in width, 1,500 metres in length and 25 microns thick. It shares the same protective and biodegradable properties as the other products in the range, with the added advantage of being recyclable alongside other silage films where collection schemes operate.
One of the significant advantages of landfill - biodegradable technology is that it works within the constraints of current waste systems. While it is always preferable to recycle where possible, Biowrap recognises that convenience, time pressures and location often dictate how waste is managed on farms. In many rural areas, recycling infrastructure is limited and transporting used wrap to collection points is not always practical. By offering a product that still performs well but will degrade more quickly and cleanly if it ends up in landfill, the company believes it is providing a logical and affordable solution for time - poor farmers who still want to reduce their environmental footprint.
This feedback was reinforced at the National Fieldays, where Biowrap had a stall to introduce its products and speak directly with farmers. Many commented on the high cost of recycling and the lack of convenient collection options, with some admitting the process was simply too difficult. Hearing these stories first - hand underscored the need for a product that bridges the gap between farm practicality and environmental responsibility.
The technology is backed by independent laboratory testing under international standards ASTM D5511, and Bio - Methane Potential (BMP) protocols. These tests confirm the accelerated biodegradation claims, although actual rates may vary depending on the conditions in specific landfills around New Zealand.
There is also an energy recovery aspect to this approach. When biodegradable plastics break down in active landfill sites, the biogas they release can be captured during the time the landfill is managed. This contrasts with conventional plastics, which break down so slowly that their biogas emissions are released centuries after the landfill has been closed and is no longer monitored. Capturing biogas early allows it to be harnessed for fuel and electricity generation, turning a waste product into a useful resource.
Biowrap supports the upcoming plastic stewardship scheme, which aims to reduce the cost of recycling for farmers. The company sees this as an important initiative to improve waste management across the sector, but stresses that recycling should always be the first point of action where companies are able to take it. Landfill - biodegradable technology, in their view, is a necessary safeguard for the majority of plastics that still end up in landfill despite best intentions.
For farmers, the practical benefits remain front and centre. The strength, UV resistance and sealing ability of Biowrap’s products mean they can be integrated into existing silage and hay storage systems without adjustments. The shelf life matches that of conventional products, so there is no risk of degradation in storage before use. This is not an experimental or unproven technology, but a commercially viable option designed to fit into the way farms already operate.
Biowrap is clear - eyed about the scale of the plastic waste problem in agriculture. The company acknowledges that its products are not the final solution to plastic pollution, but they are a significant step towards mitigating the environmental impact of essential agricultural plastics. By addressing the reality of where most waste ends up and ensuring that it degrades faster and without leaving harmful residues, Biowrap is offering farmers a way to maintain productivity while contributing to a more sustainable future.
For the rural sector, where both efficiency and environmental responsibility are under constant scrutiny, this type of innovation is not just welcome - it’s necessary. Biowrap’s landfill - biodegradable range demonstrates that practical, science - based solutions can be developed to fit the needs of the industry today, while also keeping an eye on the legacy we leave for future generations.