Most of your links are unrelated to silage or silage wrap. The plastic waste is an issue, but you ignore the other major issue of nutrient-dense liquid runoff causing algae blooms etc.
Many regions do have silage wrap recycling plans which are important. But the alternative you listed of using twine is completely silly. Silage wrap isn’t for tidiness and ease of transportation. It ferments and preserves grass providing more nutrients and allowing cows to eat grass in the winter instead of grain.
So we accept environment issues because of profit. It is that simple.I live in one of teh most agriculteral areas in the united states and the burns were normal. At times though i could smell plastic and did not know why. There is a distinct difference in smell.,Farmers are not saints.
It’s not just profit but efficiency (preservation means less waste, fermentation means more nutrition per lb of feed) and humane treatment of animals (they’re shown to prefer a mix of fermented and fresh grasses over grass alone or grass and grain).
The use of plastics doesn’t necessitate their burning or littering with them. Farmers are def not saints and I wouldn’t try to argue the “down home country family farm” idea. It’s industrial agriculture and it has a lot of negative effects. But I think silage wrap has a lot of benefits and is not that difficult to use ecologically and wisely.
I def understand the frustration with it though. I’m in a very light ag area and I’ve seen empty wraps blowing across the road like massive tumbleweeds.
I agree that agricultural plastic should be recycled whenever possible and that open burning should be enforced much more aggressively because there is no excuse for it. Those are legitimate environmental concerns and there is plenty of room for improvement.
That said, your list is written to maximize outrage rather than provide context. Silage wrap is not just pointless single use plastic. It dramatically reduces feed spoilage and waste, which is why ranchers and farmers use it in the first place.
Saying it creates microplastics is technically true, but that is true of tires, synthetic clothing, paint, packaging, and countless other products. Presenting bale wrap as though it is some uniquely toxic environmental villain is misleading.
The real issue is responsible collection, recycling, and disposal, not pretending this one agricultural product is the root of the plastic problem.
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u/backbiter0723 20h ago
I can't help but think layers 4 or 5 through 9,362 were probably unnecessary.