Canadian farmers to recycle empty Ag plastic jugs to 77% by 2021, The Canadian Business Journal

garretschoenbergOctober 5, 2022

ETOBICOCK, ON, OCTOBER 5, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Canadian farmers/growers continue their commitment to ensure that empty agricultural product containers used for pesticides and fertilizers are returned for recycling. is showing.

Cleanfarms, a national management organization that develops and operates programs to help growers manage agricultural waste on their farms, announced by 2021 that the various types of AG packaging that are collected for recycling or safe disposal announced the recovery rate of

A flagship program collects empty plastic jugs of 23 liters or less that deliver agricultural pesticides and fertilizers to growers. In 2021, farmers will return more than three-quarters of his containers sold to the market (more than 2.25 million kilograms), pushing his three-year moving average recovery rate up to 77%.

The recycling collection rate has soared from 69% in 2011. In 2019 he was 71% and in 2020 he was 76%. This shows that producers continue to look for ways to manage farm waste in an environmentally sound way.

Collection rate measures the percentage of containers collected for recycling compared to the number of containers sold to the market that year. The 3-year moving average recovery rate is a smoothed 3-year recovery rate that takes into account variables such as different needs due to weather.

“Empty plastic jugs aren’t the only agricultural containers that growers are recycling,” says Barry Friesen, Executive Director of Cleanfarms. “They bring back some key items that were used on the farm for recycling – as well as empty no-deposit bulk drums and totes. By returning them for recycling, farmers can use both small and large container plastics to create new products in a circular economy. Thank you for accommodating the program in such a wonderful way.”

In 2021, farmers returned 54% of the bulk containers sold on the market, or more than 71,000 drums and totes. This is up from 50% in 2019 and 52% in 2020.

Cleanfarms also operates a grain bag recycling program established under the Saskatchewan Agricultural Packaging Waste Management Regulations (2016). When it was launched in 2018, it was the only government-regulated extended producer responsibility program in Canada. and PEI does so for various ag plastics. In June 2022, the Quebec government announced new regulations covering all agricultural plastics. Cleanfarms is conducting a pilot in Alberta to collect information on collection patterns for grain bag recycling.

The collection of used grain bags in Saskatchewan is increasing year by year. In 2018, Cleanfarms recovered 1,257 tons of grain bag plastic. His three-year moving average recycling recovery rate for 2021 is 64%, equivalent to more than 2,100 tonnes of used plastic grain bags.

In eastern Canada, farmers are returning bags of seeds and pesticides for safe disposal as recycling markets are not yet available. Quebec growers are also returning fertilizer bags. In 2017, when the recovery program went into full swing, the three-year recovery rate was 22%. In 2021, it will exceed 38%. Pilots are also underway in the Great Plains to add collection of seeds, pesticides and inoculum bags.

“Cleanfarms’ recycling program is like a ‘blue box’ or ‘blue bag’ for farmers. We work every day to find better ways to deliver these programs to growers conveniently and efficiently. This will allow these materials to be reused in a circular economy. ”

Materials recovered through the Cleanfarms program are processed by companies large and small across North America to form recycled plastic pellets and flakes into new products such as farm drainage tiles, dimensional lumber, lawn edging and agricultural film plastics. Recycled.

clean farm is ntheorical an agricultural industry management organization that contributes to a healthier environment and a sustainable future by collecting and recycling plastics from agriculture and allied industries; packaging and products. Through a network of approximately 1,500 retailers and local government partners, we collect materials for recycling and safe disposal. It is funded by its members Crop protection, fertilizers, seeds, veterinary medicines, When silver plastic industry. has staff. Lethbridge, Alberta. Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. Winnipeg, Manitoba; Etobicoke, Ontario; and St. Bruno, Quebec.