Earthtwine® Compostable twine

Crop support twine is used to support and guide crops. It is mostly used in greenhouses for crops like tomatoes, capsicums (peppers) and cucumbers, but can also be used for open field crops like hops and bananas.

The twine must meet functional specifications to be suitable to support a crop throughout its lifecycle. Specifically, properties like tensile strength, abrasion resistance, elongation and durability (particularly against UV damage), are important considerations.

Traditionally twine made from conventional plastic (mostly polypropylene/PP) is used, because it can be modified to meet these requirements easily. Unfortunately, PP twine is not environmentally sustainable since it remains in the environment indefinitely where it eventually breaks down into persistent microplastics. To prevent the PP twine from building up in their soil, growers often resort to burning the plastic twine or disposing it in landfill, neither of which are ideal.

Compostable support twines (also known as bio-twines) offer a sustainable alternative. With the same, or at least comparable characteristics, compostable twines like Earthtwine®, provide functional support for all the same crops, but with the added benefit that the used twine can be safely composted at the end of the growing season without separating it from any residual plant material.
Is compostable twine as reliable as plastic?
  • Since the composting process relies on the presence of microbial soil activity, heat in excess of 50°C (122°F) and high humidity, all to be present at the same time, the twine will not start to breakdown during the growing season.
  • Although early versions of compostable twines may have seemed inferior to plastic twine, the science and manufacturing processes have advanced significantly in recent years, making compostable twines like Earthtwine®, a reliable alternative to plastics.
  • Earthtwine® was developed in Aotearoa New Zealand from a proprietary blend of biomaterials and novel manufacturing processes. The factory is based in the North Island of New Zealand.
  • Earthtwine® consists of a range of twines meeting the unique requirements of different growing environments to provide growers with the assurance that a generic compostable twine will not compromise the specific requirements of their crop.
  • The range currently consists of twines specifically for Indoor crops and Outdoor crops. Outdoor crops in particular pose unique challenges due to their exposure to changeable climatic conditions so with compostable twines specifically developed with those conditions in mind, growers can have comfort that Earthtwine® for outdoor environments, will not collapse when used with demanding open field crops like hops.
  • For growers keen on using an environmentally sustainable twine but without the need to maintain a composting system, Earthtwine® Terra provide the same benefits. Earthtwine® Terra is soil degradable and particularly suited to orchards, like kiwifruit.

What are the Earthtwine® options?

Earthtwine® is supplied either in balls (spools) individually wrapped in compostable packaging or can be supplied pre-wound on hooks (the amount of twine per hook is customisable).
Earthtwine® INDOOR, OUTDOOR and MUSA are all industrially compostable and breaks down into biomass (humus), carbon and H₂O.
The range currently offers three environment specific variations of compostable twine. They are:

Earthtwine® INDOOR twine

for use in commercial glasshouses

Earthtwine® OUTDOOR twine

for open field crops. This twine is particularly suitable for heavy and demanding crops like hops

Earthtwine® OUTDOOR MUSA

is currently in the final stages of field trials. A very heavy-duty compostable twine specifically developed for banana growers

Earthtwine OUTDOOR MUSA
Earthtwine OUTDOOR MUSA

Earthtwine® TERRA

is soil degradable and breaks down at ambient temperatures with soil contact. Earthtwine® Terra was developed for kiwifruit orchards where it is challenging to retrieve small lengths of twine or where growers do not maintain composting systems as part of their standard operations.

Crops

Please refer to our crop specific recommendations for more information.

In addition to our range of compostable twines,

we also manufacture a range of compostable greenhouse clips. Our Earthvine® range of clips work in tandem with the compostable twines, eliminating the need for retrieving plastic clips before the used twine and plant material is composted at the end of the growing season. Soon we will be launching a soil degradable clip for use with Earthtwine® Terra, our soil degradable twine.

Tomatoes

Capsicum

Cucumbers / Eggplant

Hops

Kiwifruit

Flowers

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