VEGETABLES

FilmOrganic mulch films are compatible with standard mulch-laying equipment.

Successful installation depends on:

• proper bed preparation

• correct tension settings

• selecting the right thickness for your field conditions

Each FilmOrganic series is designed to match real-world equipment and installation practices used by commercial growers.

We help match the right film to the right field — based on crop, bed shape, and operating conditions.

Short compostables don’t hold up.
That’s the definition.

Most “biodegradable & compostable” mulch films on the market today are made primarily from starch-based materials. They are engineered to lose strength quickly — and growers feel it in the field.

These films are designed to break down fast.
They don’t tolerate stress, variability, or mistakes.

That’s not a flaw. It’s the intent.
And it’s exactly why many growers keep shopping — or go back to polyethylene for critical applications.

In real conditions, this typically means:

• fragile films with limited tear resistance

• tight installation constraints

• narrow planting windows

• little margin for wind, uneven beds, or weather swings

Short compostables can work — when everything goes right.

How FilmOrganic is different

FilmOrganic films are not starch-based — and still fully compostable.

This delivers two decisive advantages in real fields:

1. Better durability on the bed — without sacrificing compostability
FilmOrganic films stay intact when crops need protection, then fully compost in the soil before the next spring.

You get control during the season — not surprises.

2. WYSIWYG installation — ready to plant immediately
What you see at installation is what you plant into.
No waiting for the film to tighten, settle, or cling overnight.

FilmOrganic films also forgive more during installation, making them:

• easier to lay in spring winds

• more tolerant of real-world tension and bed variation

• better suited to commercial-scale operations

Short compostables prioritize fast breakdown.
FilmOrganic prioritizes field performance first — then compostability, on schedule.

Polyethylene creates microplastics — mainly during removal.

When polyethylene mulch is pulled from the beds, the process is abrasive:

• soil friction

• buried edges

• tearing under tension

This abrasion generates microplastics that remain in the soil.
Most of the visible plastic is removed — what stays behind is plastic residue you don’t see, and that does not biodegrade.

Oxo-degradable films: microplastics and macroplastics

Oxo-degradable films are still 100% polyethylene, engineered to fragment under UV exposure.

What happens in the field:

• exposed areas break into fragments

• nothing is collected at the end of the season

Once the field is disked, the buried portion:

• does not see sunlight

• does not degrade

• remains intact in the soil

Over time, growers end up with:

• microplastics from surface fragmentation

• macroplastic pieces resurfacing year after year

• plastic getting caught in tillage teeth and equipment

Oxo-degradable mulch doesn’t disappear.
It redistributes plastic throughout the soil profile.

Break up vs break down

• Polyethylene → microplastics created mainly at removal

• Oxo-degradable → microplastics and macroplastics left in the field

• Neither biodegrades

They only break up.

What real break down looks like — FilmOrganic

FilmOrganic mulch films are designed to fully break down in soil.

Whether it’s BLACK #36, BLACK #66, or BLACK #88, the outcome is the same:

• the film performs during the crop cycle

• then biodegrades in the soil

• converting into water, CO₂, and biomass

• leaving no plastic fragments behind

Thickness and field life do not change the end result.
The film disappears because it was engineered to do so.

This isn’t magic. It’s material science.

FilmOrganic films are built to:

• stay intact when crops need protection

• then break down biologically — not mechanically

• without creating microplastics or leaving plastic pieces to resurface

No residues.
No surprises next spring.
No plastic coming back through the teeth.

Breaking up spreads plastic.
Breaking down removes it.

Uncoated compostable films can stick to certain crops under humid conditions, creating quality and handling issues.

FilmOrganic #66 and #88 use a coated surface that:

• Extends field life

• Reduces sticking on crops like cantaloupe and Roma tomatoes

• Maintains fruit quality without extra handling

If you’ve experienced sticking before — this is your fix.

Short answer: only if you ignore labor, tractor time, and reality.

Yes — compostable mulch can cost more per roll than polyethylene.
But polyethylene always comes with end-of-season work that nobody puts on the invoice.

With plastic, fall cleanup means:

• mowing the beds

• pulling plastic

• tractor passes, again and again

• labor hours tied to equipment

• loading, hauling, and container disposal

That’s diesel, tractor hours, wear and tear, maintenance — and you in the seat, doing work that doesn’t grow anything.

Most growers don’t count it properly because it’s spread out:

• a few rows today

• another pass tomorrow

• a container when it’s full

But added together, plastic cleanup typically costs:

• 2–3 full weeks of labor

• multiple tractor days

• disposal or container fees that keep going up every year

• time you could be using to prep fields, fix equipment, or simply be done with the season

With FilmOrganic:

• install once

• run the crop

• disk it in and move on

No mowing.
No pulling.
No piles.
No containers.

And this isn’t just about payroll.

You save those same 2–3 weeks.
Less seat time doing cleanup.
Less end-of-season grind.
More control over when the season actually ends.

The real comparison isn’t:
plastic vs compostable (per roll)

It’s:
cleanup system vs no-cleanup system

Plastic looks cheaper on paper.
But paper doesn’t burn diesel, rack up tractor hours, or keep you in the seat when the season should be over.

Compostable costs less where it matters: in the field, over time.