## 3 Results and Discussion
The highest effect was achieved for vegetables, with a reduction of 46.6%, then for greenhouses (27.8%) and lastly for vineyards (0.6%). \begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c c c c c c c} \hline \hline
**Plastic** & \multicolumn{6}{c}{**Plastic Waste Index [kg ha\({}^{-1}\) y\({}^{-1}\)]**} \\ \cline{2-9}
**Application** & **V vegetables** & **Greenhouses** & **Vineyards** & **Olives** & **Orchards** & **C Cereals** & **Nurgeries** & **Nurgeries** \\  & & & & & & & (**Vegetables**) & **(Omamental)** \\ \hline Films & - & 564.97 & 613.80 & - & 764.15 & - & 564.97 & 564.97 \\ Nets & - & 133.33 & 159.03 & 43.20 & 192.16 & - & - & - \\ Irrigation pipes & 50.00 & 75.00 & 60.00 & 36.00 & 45.00 & - & - & - \\ Multiching films & 154.00 & 154.00 & - & - & - & - & - \\ Bags & 2.50 & 2.00 & 1.60 & 0.50 & 2.20 & 2.70 & 307.00 & 154.03 \\ Containers & 1.70 & 3.40 & 8.00 & 0.63 & 1.80 & 0.60 & 15.00 & 5.60 \\ Seeding trays & 181.35 & 146.25 & - & - & - & - & - & - \\ Support & - & - & 17.05 & - & - & - & - & - \\ accessories & - & - & 17.05 & - & - & - & - & - \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular}
\end{table} 
Table 2: Plastic waste index for each plastic application and for each crop type. The combination of the two improved scenarios (scenario comb.) (Figure 6), due to the synergistic positive effects made by both strategies, produced the best situation, wherein the highest decrease in APW came from vegetables (48.7%), followed by greenhouses (42.5%). Since covering films significantly contribute to the APW production, the attention was then specifically pointed on them. Therefore, the map of APW from covering films was realized (actual scenario) by applying the PWI related to this specific PA only to CTs that imply their use (Figure 7). It was found that about 7450 tons of APW are yearly generated from covering films in this area. By extending their useful life (1 st scenario) (Figure 8), the situation visibly improved, and the highest density range became 501 to 600 kg ha\({}^{-1}\) y\({}^{-1}\). Figure 3: Distribution (%) of annual APW generated by the different crops in the four municipalities. Figure 2: Distribution of the total APW in the four municipalities in the actual scenario. Figure 4: Distribution of the total APW in the four municipalities in the scenario of longer lifespans (1 st scenario). Figure 5: Distribution of the total APW in the four municipalities in the scenario of partial replacement of some of the plastics with bio-based materials (2 nd scenario). Figure 6: Distribution of the total APW in the four municipalities in the case of combination of the two improved scenarios (scenario comb). Figure 7: Distribution of the APW from covering films in the four municipalities in the actual scenario. The results of the application of the different scenarios are summarized in Figure 9. The total amount of APW decreased by 24.9% from 11,103 tons to 8343 tons per year (Figure 9a) through the lifespan extension (1 st scenario). The annual quantity of APW slightly decreased by only 0.4% from 11,103 tons to 11,056 tons in the sustainable partial replacement scenario (2 nd scenario) (Figure 9a). The application of the 1 st scenario allowed achieving significantly better results than the 2 nd one. This difference can be explained by the fact that the extension of lifespan was applied to a higher number of plastics and moreover to those PAs that contribute the most to the total amount of APW. In fact, their quantity is higher, and their weight as well. The latter is the main component in PWIs definition. On the other hand, the sustainable nature-based replacement scenario instead was considered for a lower number of plastics with lower impact (except for the mulching films) on the overall APW, since their used quantity is lower, as is their weight. Overall, when the two improved scenarios were combined (scenario comb. ), the APW was lowered (by 25.3%) to a value of about 8296 tons per year (Figure 9a). Figure 8: Distribution of the APW from covering films in the four municipalities in the scenario of longer lifespans (1 st scenario).