Carpets are made from plastic fibers.

I am currently doing research on farming practices and microplastics for my masters degree. 80% of microplastics in the ocean come from terrestrial origins. Any plastics buried or placed into landfills still continue to degrade into smaller particles which are then transported through the soils into groundwater. The degradation of microplastics have resulted in plastics that can now cross the cellular wall in plants, so the food you eat now contains microplastics. Another fun fact, agrochemicals contain microbeads, made of….plastic. Irrigation and livestock sludge contain….plastic. Livestock feed is LEGALLY allowed to contain a certain percentage of plastic fillers. Farming equipment like tractor tires (tires are a rubber polymer, polymer=plastic), plastic coatings on mechanical parts, and belts and gaskets in engines…all plastic. Mulch and groundcover are only a fraction of the problem, but one of the most avoidable ones.

Using Straw around “straw”berries works so well. It actually units together very well once it is wetted….but if you are worried about wind perhaps planting a “bush” crop every 4th row would shelter the “straw”berries from the wind.

If you want to take it to the next level grow strawberries in an agroforestry system with hardwoods and prune and chip the branches of the trees for mulch for your berries, opening up sunlight for flowering of the strawberries, then when they ripen they’ll ripen with that little bit of shade which improves quality. There’d be no transport cost for the mulch because it’s produced right there where it’s needed, the berries would benefit from the trees, the ecosystem could begin to function again somewhat, and there would be additional income if you integrated some fruit trees too.

Edit: for those that will say woodchips rob the soil of N, the chipped material has to be fresh, small diameter branches (7cm or less) of deciduous hardwood species. All the sap and growth hormones in the twigs and small branches adds lots of N plus the lignin is young and different than in heartwood chips, the C:N ratio is much better and immediately favors the growth of beneficial fungi.

Is there a mechanical application? Can you imagine laying acres of wool by hand?

Great suggestion!

It, like leaves, blows away with very little wind.