Page 29 - Allotment Gardener Issue 2 2024

PLASTIC
IN THE SOIL
How much of a concern is this and what can we do about it?
This is exactly the question a new research initiative between Garden Organic, Coventry University’s Centre for Agroecology,
Water and Resilience (CAWR) and Earlsdon Allotment in Coventry is hoping to answer.
It is also a question that cannot be answered by researchers alone, but one which is best addressed with the knowledge and experiences of those who are regularly in contact with the soil.
Plastics in the garden
Worldwide plastic use has been increasing rapidly since the 1950s. Today, thanks to its many uses, plastic is everywhere in our daily lives. It
is also of course in our gardening practices. We use plastic as plant pots and modules, labels, watering cans, polytunnel coverings and even our mulches. In so many different ways, our gardens and greenhouses quickly fill up with plastic products.
Inevitably however, these materials degrade, and then begin to release microplastic fragments that may affect the functioning of soil life. Plastic particles can also be brought into gardens as contaminants in composts
and manures - or might even be deposited
from airborne dust or floodwaters. Although awareness of plastic pollution is growing, more research is needed to understand its significance to long-term soil health.
Plastic pollution pilot project
The importance of this research has been acknowledged by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) who have allocated funding for a six-month pilot project called: Co-creating Citizen Science for Reducing Plastic Contamination of Soil in Community Food Growing Spaces (REPAS).
This citizen-centred research emphasises
that gardener’s knowledge and input is essential in helping develop effective and replicable methods. Garden Organic, CAWR and Earlsdon Allotments are working with gardeners and growers across the country to co-develop methods of assessing plastics and microplastics that are already in the soil and to reduce further contamination.
This collaborative work includes a series of six regional workshops which examine the issues
in more detail. The workshops are important
to understand local concerns and pathways of plastics in allotments and gardens. They also support the co-creation of methodologies suitable for citizens for analysing plastic contamination in their own food-growing soils.
In a second step, this work will also be used as a basis for an application to NERC for funding for a longer-term project for further research and to enable the findings to be rolled out more widely.
To kick-off the engagement with local allotment growers, on January 27th, the project was present during a family event at Beechwood Allotment’s “Primary Plot” in Coventry, a
local primary school’s new school garden.
This event has seen a fabulous turn-out, with many interesting discussions around plastic in allotment soil.
Dr. Jana Fried - Assistant Professor
Centre for Agroecology, Water and Resilience (CAWR), Coventry University
How you can help
We want to know more about how different plastics are used in allotments, vegetable plots and community gardens. What alternatives you are currently using and how do plastics and microplastics affect your soil and allotment space?
You can share your current use of plastics, any concerns as well as ideas for alternatives in a short survey. To access this survey, please go to https://app.onlinesurveys.jisc.ac.uk/s/coventry/repas- plastic-in-growing-soils-community-survey-jan-feb-2024. Another quick way to access the survey is to simply scan this QR code:
Results of this survey will be shared on CAWR’s website, Garden Organic’s blog and social media
@gardenorganicuk @coventryCAWR
Allotment Gardener | Issue 2 2024 | 29