Compostable raffia for trellising: how it works and when it pays off

Compostable raffia is a crop-support twine made from compostable biopolymers that, at the end of the season, is removed together with the crop residue and sent to industrial composting, with no manual separation. It lasts one season and is designed for trellising greenhouse vegetables (tomato, cucumber, pepper). Note: it does not break down on its own in the field; it needs industrial composting to complete its cycle.

The problem with conventional raffia

At the end of the season, polypropylene raffia has to be separated by hand from the plant residue before each waste stream is handled. It takes time and labour, and if separation is not perfect, plastic fragments remain in the plant mass, in the soil or in waste sent to landfill.

How compostable raffia works

It is made of compostable biopolymers. It is used during the season like ordinary raffia and, at the end, removed with the plants. In an industrial composting plant, microorganisms break it down into CO₂, water and biomass. Actual lifespan depends on humidity, temperature, radiation and the chemicals applied in the greenhouse.

Compostable Raffia 500 or 700

Source: Criado y López Eco Line technical datasheets (typical values, November 2026).

When does it pay off?

• When crop residue goes to an industrial composting plant: that is the condition for the raffia to complete its cycle.
• When manual separation of raffia is a significant labour cost at the end of the season.
• When the farm wants to reduce persistent plastic waste in the plant mass and the soil.

If residue does not go to industrial composting, the advantage disappears: in that case consider other options from the same line, such as biodegradable natural-fibre twines, or well-managed conventional raffia.

And for fruit trees

To tie branches and shoots in orchards, Novafrut supplies tying raffia : green degradable raffia cut in bundles and white raffia on reels for long ties.

Who supplies it

Compostable Raffia 500 and 700 belong to the Eco Line of Grupo Criado y López, which Novafrut is part of. Ask us for a quote stating the crop and the area.