Giant Heaps of Plastic Are Helping Vegetables Grow
Plastic allows farmers to use less water and fertilizer. But at the end of each season, they’re left with a pile of waste.
![a machine lays plastic mulch in a fertile field of dirt](https://cdn.theatlantic.com/thumbor/dXB6acsXvznYKG2XTL-hvrsvN7k=/708x0:3408x2700/80x80/media/img/mt/2024/05/Plastic_Mulch_JohnGove/original.jpg)
Plastic allows farmers to use less water and fertilizer. But at the end of each season, they’re left with a pile of waste.