Plasticulture plays an increasingly important role in modern agriculture by providing technologies that can improve productivity, reduce losses, and support more efficient production systems. However, its sustainability must be assessed not only in terms of the amount of plastic material used, but also through its functional performance, durability, resource efficiency, and overall contribution to agricultural production. This presentation challenges the perceived trade-off between sustainability and performance, highlighting the potential drawbacks of reducing material thickness or resin content without considering the resulting effects on product functionality, service life, and waste generation. It presents the role of the Center for Plasticulture Engineering (CEP), based at the University of Campinas (Unicamp), in developing and promoting innovative, practical, and sustainable plasticulture solutions through multidisciplinary research, development, innovation, and technology transfer. Ongoing research initiatives include organic vegetable production under protected and open-field conditions, the use of cover crops, bioinputs, grafting, and plastic mulching, as well as projects involving coffee, citrus, forestry, aquaculture, and reverse logistics. By integrating material performance, agronomic productivity, economic feasibility, and environmental considerations, the presentation emphasizes the need for a systemic approach to sustainable plasticulture. The ultimate goal is to develop solutions that deliver measurable benefits to agricultural businesses while reducing losses, improving resource use, and advancing more sustainable agricultural value chains.