CNH, through its investment arm CNH Ventures, is supporting the scientific development of the first viable compostable net wrap for bales in agriculture.

“Our investment in the Canadian start-up Nature’s Net Wrap aims to accelerate their mission to eliminate waste from the process of collecting and storing crops,” CNH says.

Shifting to compostable net wraps has the potential to significantly benefit farmers, CNH adds, as it will reduce landfill use, haulage and disposal costs, eliminate soil contamination, improve animal safety, and reduce the risk of water contamination, resulting in a reduction of approximately 2.5 million tons of plastic waste per year.

High growth in this market is propelled by the general demand for chemical- and plastic-free solutions. Initial product launch is expected in 2024.

Baling in brief

When crop is cut, it is baled so that it can be transported and stored. Today, bales are held together with twine, wire, netting, or plastic wrap – all of which eventually end up in landfills or incinerators. Farmers are limited in the reuse or recycling of plastic wraps or nets, which CNH says negatively impacts their environmental footprint.

Nature’s Net Wrap uses biopolymer material made from renewable resources. It holds up structurally and can either naturally break down in the earth’s soil or be composted. CNH’s investment supports the testing and validation of the solution. The company’s New Holland Agriculture brand balers are also producing all the bales during testing phase.

“This latest investment furthers CNH’s commitment to sustainably advance the work of farmers everywhere,” the company says.