You wouldn’t think plastic and agriculture have a lot to do with each other, but they do. Plastics are actually used extensively in growing crops – from plastic-coated seeds to mulch film. All these products have increased crop yields and are useful, but there’s a catch. They also contributed to the plastic waste crisis — and according to a new study on strawberry production, they also end up in our food. Researchers from the California Polytechnic State University found that the plastic mulch used to support the growth of strawberries releases up to 213,500 plastic particles per hectare. That’s probably a conservative estimate as well. The figure could actually be much bigger as it only includes macroplastics. The team didn’t measure microplastics and subsurface particles, both of which are very likely.

Related articles: 

• Christian Science Monitor: Plastics have shaped nearly every aspect of society. Now what?
• Hakai Magazine: The Problem with Boating’s High-Fiberglass Diet