Many plastic products used in the garden such as plant pots and modules, labels, mulches and polytunnel coverings will degrade to release microplastic fragments that may affect the functioning of soil life. Although awareness of this pollution is growing, more research is needed to understand its significance.
The Centre for Agroecology, Water and Resilience at Coventry University (CAWR) has teamed up with the gardening charity Garden Organic to look at this topic in more detail in a six-month pilot project. It is funded by the Natural Resources Environment Council.
They are running some free workshops where you can find out more about your plastics contamination, the history of your local growing sites and receive some training for monitoring contamination.
Details of a workshop in Leicester are as follows:
Date : Monday 4th March
Time : 7pm – 9.30 pm
Venue : Dining Room, Beaumont Hall, University of Leicester
Stoughton Drive South, Oadby, Leicester LE2 2NA
It is essential you register for the event beforehand – please sign up here.