CNH, through their investment arm CNH Ventures, has announced they are supporting the scientific development of the first viable compostable net wrap for bales in agriculture.

The manufacturer says their 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.
 
In a statement CNH said, "Shifting to compostable net wraps has the potential to significantly benefit farmers. 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."

Currently 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, negatively impacting their environmental footprint.
  
This proposed solution 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 continued, "Our investment is supporting the testing and validation of the solution. One of the industry-leading balers from our New Holland Agriculture brand is producing all the bales in this testing phase."

Initial product launch is expected in 2024.