Rockwool is one of the most commonly used growing substrates in hydroponics due to its aeration and excellent water retention, which ensures optimal plant growth for crops such as tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, eggplants, and strawberries. It is used in drip irrigation systems, aeroponics, and thin-layer vegetable cultivation. Rockwool is produced by melting natural rocks at high temperatures, making it non-biodegradable. Despite its many advantages, rockwool poses an environmental issue—its excessive disposal in nature. After use in hydroponics, it becomes waste that is often neither recycled nor reused, contributing to environmental pollution. Although rockwool is not biodegradable, it can be recycled and reused, but awareness of this is still low. Research has shown that rockwool recycling is possible through various methods, some of which are already successfully applied. One approach involves separating the rockwool from its wrapping, then mixing it with organic materials for use as mulch or composting, resulting in a sterile substrate suitable for seedling growth. Reusing rockwool is feasible because the substrate retains good physical properties even after multiple uses. Such reuse preserves the substrate’s growing qualities and does not significantly affect crop yield. Besides recycling, environmentally friendly alternatives such as composted peat and bark show promising results and can achieve comparable results.
|
