Fields of plastic: Tracking the growing footprint of agricultural plastics using remote sensing in California
This study uses Sentinel‑2 multispectral imagery and evapotranspiration data to map plastic mulch and hoop houses across key agricultural counties in California. Results show widespread and increasing field plastic use from 2019–2024, including near waterways, offering new insights for managing plastic pollution and protecting soil and ecosystem health.
Subject Tags
- Agriculture
- Ecosystem management
Abstract
Globally, plastic use in agriculture has become ubiquitous. While plastics offer many benefits such as increased crop productivity and water-use efficiency, degraded or discarded plastic products can pose a serious threat to soil productivity, as well as ecosystem and human health. California is the largest agricultural producer in the United States, yet the use of agricultural plastics is not monitored in the state. We used Sentinel-2 multispectral satellite imagery and satellite-derived evapotranspiration data to model and map field plastics (plastic mulch and hoop houses) across six years in three key agricultural counties in California. Our multi-temporal approach demonstrated high model test accuracy (F1 score: 97% for hoop houses, 96% for plastic mulch). We found widespread and increasing field plastic use over time, with nearly a third of agricultural areas in our study area covered by field plastic during the 2024 water year. Plastic mulch comprised 69% of all field plastics detected over the study period, and was often detected on cropland adjacent to major waterways. We also identified fields with high cumulative plastic exposure, which can inform in-situ research on soil health impacts. In California, this analysis provides valuable insights for agencies to better track and manage the rapid growth of plastic use in agriculture, with the ultimate goal of improving end-of-life management, reducing plastic pollution, and improving ecosystem and soil health in agricultural regions. Finally, these methods are designed to be applicable across a variety of cropping practices and therefore advance field plastic detection capabilities for many regions globally.
Citation
Taylor, A., Orofino, S., Klausmeyer, K. R., Tian, Y., & Bradley, D. (2026). Fields of plastic: Tracking the growing footprint of agricultural plastics using remote sensing in California. Available at SSRN 6210414.
TNC Authors
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Annalise Taylor
Spatial Data Scientist, Oceans. California
The Nature Conservancy
Email: annie.taylor@tnc.org -
Sara Orofino
Ocean Scientist. California
The Nature Conservancy
Email: sara.orofino@tnc.org -
Kirk R. Klausmeyer
Director of Data Science. California
The Nature Conservancy
Email: kklausmeyer@tnc.org -
Darcy Bradley
Lead Ocean Scientist. California
The Nature Conservancy
Email: darcy.bradley@tnc.org