The Woodland Trust announces that it will phase out all plastic supports for the new trees by the end of the year
The Woodland Trust (UK) is trying to revolutionize the land conservation and reforestation sector and announces that remove all plastic supports for the new trees before the end of the year
The non-profit voluntary association Woodland Trust hopes to be able to plant 10 million trees every year until 2025. A commendable and conscientious gesture for the protection of the natural environment, which aims even further through the abolition of use of plastic tree supports by the end of this year. To do this, the association collaborated with British researchers to search alternative solutions to the use of plastic but equally efficient in supporting young trees.
We are among the largest new tree planters in the country - he explains Darren Moorcroft, executive director of the association. - We are well aware of the importance of planting new trees: they represent the main solution to the climate crisis, they absorb CO2 and release clean oxygen in the area, they contribute to animal welfare. However, without adequate supports, it is difficult for a young tree to stand up on its own: for this reason, plastic, at least so far, has represented the only way to guarantee longevity to the trees planted by us and to protect them from attack by predators.
But we also know that plastic is neither biodegradable nor environmentally sustainable. If we really want to try to save the world, we need to find new sustainable approaches to saving trees.
Plastic tree supports have been used since the 70s to protect trunks from the onslaught of small rodents, such as squirrels.
However, a recent study that analyzed the life cycle of plastic and the tree it protects, reveals that it is better to lose a certain percentage of saplings than to use large quantities of plastic to protect their survival: this is because the plastic around the trees trees end up degrading in the natural environment and creating microplastics, polluting the environment and endangering the lives of animals. The study estimates that there would be a 35% loss of saplings if protective supports are not used (85% survival of trees with support versus 50% of trees without support).
While the Woodland Trust is committed to removing plastic supports from trees that no longer need them and recycling them properly, the goal now is to completely replace them with greener alternatives. For this reason, collaboration has begun with partners at the academic, manufacturing level as well as with experts in the field of conservation of natural environments.
Furthermore, the association is testing every type of alternative to plastic already on the market: an example of this are the supports in biodegradable cardboard obtained by recycling waste from the paper industries (a material considered to be waste). We will see in the coming months what the results of these efforts will be in favor of a more sustainable reforestation for the entire ecosystem.
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Fonte: Woodland National Trust
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