top down shot of sustainable plant protector

Help protect young plants

Our range of plant protectors help protect young plants from pests and the elements to support faster growth and improve survival rates, making them ideal for vegetation, revegetation or restoration projects.

Available in both standard and slanted hillside configurations and made to withstand New Zealand's varied environment they're ideal for small or large scale planting projects.

Our plant protectors are available in a range of sizes to suit various plant shapes and sizes.

Benefits

Robust

Protect from pests such as rats and rabbits as well as herbicides

Durable

Perform well in high wind and high rainfall

Versatile

Can be used for small or large scale planting projects. Available in a range of sizes including 300mm, 400mm, 600mm and 800mm. Other sizes are available on request

Round design

Unlike competitor designs, our circular shape allows the plant maximum area for growth and encourages it to grow upwards

NZ made

Designed and manufactured in New Zealand for New Zealand environments and climates.

Easy to assemble

No tools required

Easy to store and transport

PolyCycle® Plant Protector

Our plant protectors are made from PolyCycle®, a blend of recycled and recyclable compounds from our existing polymer supply and new, synthetic polymer. PolyCycle® plant protectors can be returned to EPL to be recycled and the material reused again, making them a more sustainable option for any planting project.

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PolyNatural® Terrain Plant Protector

PolyNatural® Terrain is bio-based polymer technology (also known as a ‘bioplastic’) that has been carefully developed to go the distance on the shelf and tested to biodegrade over time in the right soil conditions. Plant protectors made from PolyNatural® Terrain are an environmentally sound way to optimise planting projects. Not only do they protect your investment and encourage growth, they can then buried back into the soil or put in with compost.

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PolyNatural® Aqua Plant Protectors

PolyNatural® Aqua is bio-based polymer technology (also known as a ‘bioplastic’) that has been carefully developed to go the distance on the shelf and tested and certified to biodegrade over time in the right conditions, including soil and water environments.

Plant protectors made from PolyNatural® Aqua are an environmentally sound way to optimise planting projects near water as it can biodegrade in marine and freshwater environments. Protect your investment and encourage growth then bury them in soil or put in with compost.

This product is still in development, however please get in touch to register your interest.

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FAQ - PolyNatural® Plant Protectors

  • Are PolyNatural® Terrain plant protectors biodegradable?

    PolyNatural® Terrain the material has been tested to biodegrade. Over time and in the right conditions, micro-organisms transform it into nothing more than CO2, water and biomass. It has no adverse effects on the environment and is naturally compostable without requiring a specialised composting facility.

  • What about PolyNatural® Aqua plant protectors – are they also biodegradable?

    Similar to PolyNatural® Terrain, PolyNatural® Aqua will also biodegrade in the right soil conditions as well as certain water environments too, so you don’t need to worry too much if a plant protector accidently made its way into a stream or the sea, for example.

  • Are PolyNatural® materials bio-based?

    Yes. Both PolyNatural® Terrain and PolyNatural® Aqua are bio-based polymers. ‘Bio-based’ means it is made from biological materials that either occur naturally or are synthesized organic compounds that exist in nature. Often these biological materials come from waste streams of other manufacturing processes, or are synthesized organic compounds. All these are renewable resources, unlike those from fossil origin, which is not renewable.

    Every stage of our process is designed to generate a positive impact on the environment. We use untapped resources, non-toxic ingredients.

    As the PolyNatural® materials are both biodegradable and manufactured from biomass they have the great advantage of presenting a closed loop. C02 and H2O + the biomass from biodegradation feed the growth of plants that themselves could be transformed into bio material.

  • What testing has been done?

    For PolyNatural® Terrain, the material (before it has been processed into a plant protector) has been tested as OK Compost, OK Compost Home and OK Biodegradable for soil at 502µm The material complies to food contact applications EU10/2011.

  • How long will the plant protector last?

    Whether it’s made from PolyNatural® Terrain or PolyNatural® Aqua, because it’s manufactured out of biomass and designed to break down over time, it really does depend on the environment it’s in. We are always looking for feedback as to how your plant protectors are going in which environment.

  • What do you do at the end of the life of the plant protector?

    PolyNatural® Terrain is certified to biodegrade and transform into CO2, water and biomass within a defined period of time under certain temperature and environmental conditions (compost/soil/water), you can either put it in general waste or bury it in soil where it will break down and become part of the bio cycle for plant growth over and over again.

    PolyNatural® Aqua can biodegrade in any of the following environments: marine, freshwater, soil, home or industrial compost, or general waste. The process in which PolyNatural® Aqua breaks down is similar to cellulose or wood. When kept in an environment with limited bacterial and fungi activity, the material will last for a long time. If that material is discarded into the environment or compost bin, it will be consumed by microorganisms that feed off the material as a carbon food source.

  • Should it be stored anywhere special to stop it accidently biodegrading?

    For both PolyNatural® Terrain and PolyNatural® Aqua, as soon as it comes into contact with microbes it will start to biodegrade. So when not in use, store in a cool dry environment.

  • Is PolyNatural® Aqua available to purchase?

    Currently we are running test quantities. We are working with our partners in the collaboration to scale up production in the near future.

Interested to learn more about our Plant Protectors?

Download your free copy of our product brochure to find out more about the range.