Novamont was an Italian industrial company established in 1990. It was a Benefit Company, B Corp certified and among the leaders in producing biodegradable and compostable materials, biochemicals, and bioproducts wholly or partly derived from renewable origins. Since 2023, Novamont has become part of Versalis (ENI), Italy’s leading chemical company committed to transforming specialized products, biobased chemistry, and circularity. The main pillars of Novamont’s circular bioeconomy model were reindustrializing industrial sites into biorefineries for bioproducts and integrating agricultural value chains with scrap valorization.

Among the different uses of biodegradable and compostable materials, those in agriculture were a very interesting field of application. Biodegradable materials were used when conventional non-biodegradable plastics posed issues at the end of life and led to environmental accumulation.

The joint use of biodegradable materials such as mulch and innovative pelargonic acid formulations in agriculture represented a tangible way to increase the sustainability of territories by simplifying the end of life and optimizing the use of natural resources while maintaining good agronomic effects and field performance in various climatic conditions.

Speaker​ 

Sara Guerrini | Agriculture Public Affairs, Corporate Strategy Implementation & Engagement, Novamont

Sara has 20 years of experience in the bioplastics sector for agricultural applications and their effects at the end of life in the environment in the framework of a circular bioeconomy. She started her career in Novamont as an agronomist, moving to marketing development and sales and finally to advocacy. This position allows her to use her technical background while engaging in stakeholder engagement activities.

Sara holds a degree in Agricultural Sciences from the University of Bologna as well as a Master's in “Management of Agro-environmental Systems” and a PhD in Soil Chemistry, where she analyzed the effects of biodegradable mulch films on soil fertility. Sara is the author of several articles and scientific publications, such as the chapter “Biodegradable Materials in Agriculture: Case Histories and Perspectives” in Soil Degradable Bioplastics for Sustainable Modern Agriculture.