Cheng Loong Launches Domestic Agricultural Paper Film from Recycled Paper

Large tracts of farmland appeared covered with "agricultural plastic film" resembling a black mask when walking through the fields. This material maintains soil warmth and moisture while suppressing weed growth, serving as an essential tool for farmers by reducing herbicide use.

While agricultural plastic film lowers pesticide residues in fields, it contributes to environmental plastic pollution. To address this issue, "agricultural paper film" was developed, offering identical functionality but produced from paper materials.

Previously, agricultural paper film depended on imports, with high costs discouraging farmer adoption. Cheng Loong, experienced in waste paper recycling and reuse, identified this market gap and entered the sector to support Taiwanese agriculture through a sustainable green pathway.

In 2022, Cheng Loong initiated research and development for "domestic agricultural paper film." The following year, it launched Taiwan's first locally produced, 100% recycled paper "environmentally friendly weed control paper." This lighter, thinner product with low basic weight targets rice cultivation, providing rice farmers a soil-friendly weed control alternative.

Beyond recycled paper composition, the product proves fully biodegradable, eliminating post-use recycling needs. It also offers pricing more competitive than imported alternatives, removing cost barriers for farmers adopting eco-friendly options.

After gaining traction in rice applications, Cheng Loong expanded into high-basic-weight weed control paper for four key dryland cash crop categories: flowers, vegetables, fruit trees, and specialty crops, broadening its scope.

The product has undergone successful trials on crops including corn, chestnut squash, mesona chinensis, and sweet potatoes. Future efforts will deepen and widen weed control paper applications, positioning it as a vital force in Taiwan's sustainable agriculture transformation.

Cheng Loong collaborates with value chain partners to boost production-end adoption and consumer acceptance via internal initiatives and external alliances.

Through its employee welfare committee and Cheng Huo-tian Charity Foundation, Cheng Loong partnered with the Douliu Township Farmers' Association in Yunlin and Taibao City Farmers' Association in Chiayi to procure 10,000 kilograms of "Cheng Loong 65 You Shan Rice," contract-grown using environmentally friendly weed-suppressing paper. Prior to the Mid-Autumn Festival, this rice distributed to employees and, aided by Taoyuan City and Taichung City Environmental Protection Bureaus, donated to frontline recyclers.

Assisted by the Douliu Township Farmers' Association, Cheng Loong introduced portions of this contract-grown rice into retail channels. The rice also appears on Cheng Loong's e-commerce platform AeSHOP, promoting sustainable agriculture awareness through branding.

Cheng Loong's waste paper recycling entry into agriculture delivers innovative plastic waste reduction solutions. From development and production support to social outreach, the company emerges as a primary promoter of sustainable agriculture.