Estimation and Spatial Analysis of Agriculture Plastic Waste Case Study: Karangdowo Subdistrict, Klaten Regency, Central Java Indonesia

Abstract

Plastic waste is well known as generated from domestic activities; however, agricultural activities, including fertilizing, spraying pesticides, and soil covering, have the potential to generate plastic waste. Many studies indicated that agricultural plastic waste (APW) can cause pollution of agricultural land, impacting soil health, biodiversity, and productivity. Therefore, this study aims to estimate the loading rate of APW and its potential for recycling. The data was collected from farmers in Karangdowo district, Klaten City, Central Java province, Indonesia, based on clustering and random samples. Data on land area, crop type, planting frequency, pesticide and fertilizer application was determined to estimate APW loading rate. Mapping of the estimation of the loading rate of APW and plastic-type in each village was processed using QGIS software. The results show four types of plastic with a total estimation per year: plastic sacks (949.6 kg/year), plastic bottles (182.9 kg/year), plastic bags (697.0 kg/year), and mulch (12913.6 kg/year). There were three types of plastics: High Density polyethylene (HDPE), Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE), and polypropylene (PP). Although the horticulture area was less than 10% of total agricultural area in each village, it generated the highest LDPE from the use of mulch. Ringinputih village has the highest estimation of recycle potential HDPE, LDPE, and PP compared with the other villages due to having the most significant horticultural area and variation of crops.