Plastic agricultural waste recycling now available to Manitoba farmers

October 5, 2012 – Portage la Prairie, MB – Manitoba farmers will have more environmentally friendly options to dispose of some of their plastic waste, thanks to a free pilot project.

Grain bags, bale and silage wrap and twine will be collected in Pierson, Neepawa and Portage La Prairie to help the province determine if more of the waste generated on farms can be diverted from landfills.

“Farmers want to responsibly dispose of their waste, and we want to help them do this,” says Ferdi van Dongen, chief executive officer of Portage & District Recycling Inc., who will be providing on the ground support for this project.

“This pilot project will help lay the groundwork for a comprehensive program to responsibly manage plastic agricultural waste in the province,” says Barry Friesen, general manager of CleanFARMS, a national, industry-led stewardship organization that is leading this project.

Farmers can return their unwanted bale and silage cover, silage bags, twine and grain bags. All materials must be clean, dry and separated. Agricultural film and twine will only be accepted in collection bags that are available free of charge at local Federated Cooperatives Limited locations and participating landfills.

Grain bags must be rolled into bundles no bigger than 48 inches in diameter. Unbagged, loose or heavily contaminated materials will not be accepted.

Collections will take place at the following locations:

  • Portage la Prairie Landfill – PR 227, 6 miles east of Oakland
  • Evergreen Technologies Regional Landfill – PR 466, three and a half miles south of Hwy 16 (west of Neepawa)
  • RM of Edward – Highway #256, one mile south of Highway #3 (Pierson)

According to recent research conducted by CleanFARMS, farmers in Manitoba generate more than 6,000 tonnes of non-nutrient based waste on their farms each year. There are stewardship programs in place for some agricultural waste products, but there are many products, such as the ones covered by this project, for which there are no recycling options.

“The government of Manitoba is pleased to partner with CleanFARMS to help divert agricultural plastics through recycling programs and keep these materials out of Manitoba’s rural landfills,” says Christina McDonald, chief executive officer of Green Manitoba.

Funding for the pilot program is being provided by Green Manitoba, the agency of the Manitoba Government that delivers programs and services on behalf of government departments and other clients with a focus on waste reduction.

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For more information please contact:

Erin O’Hara
613-230-9881 ext. 3223 or 613-608-3446
oharae@croplife.ca

Obsolete pesticide collection campaign comes to the Peace Region

August 20, 2012 – Etobicoke, ON – Farmers in the Peace Region can now safely and responsibly dispose of their unwanted or obsolete agricultural pesticides.

Cleanfarms, an industry-led national not-for-profit agricultural waste management organization, is heading the collection campaign, which will take place at two locations from Aug. 20 through to Aug. 31.

“This program offers farmers the chance to responsibly dispose of their unwanted or obsolete agricultural pesticides free of charge. It’s good for farmers and it’s good for the environment,” says Barry Friesen, general manager of Cleanfarms.

British Columbia farmers have demonstrated their commitment to good stewardship over the years. Since 1998 they’ve returned more than 226,000 kilograms of obsolete pesticides in the province. After collection, the pesticides are taken to a licensed waste management facility where they are disposed of through high temperature incineration.

Co-funders of the program, the BC Agriculture Council (BCAC), through the Agriculture Environment and Wildlife Fund of the BC Investment Agriculture Foundation, welcomed the opportunity to participate in this initiative.

“We’re pleased to support and be part of this program as it offers a tremendous service to farmers and plays an important role in protecting the environment for all British Columbians,” says Greg Norton, Chair of the BCAC Agriculture Environment Initiatives Management Committee.

Farmers are invited to return all of their obsolete or unwanted agricultural pesticides in a secure container with the label attached. This program is strictly for agricultural pesticides; adjuvents, treated seed, paint, solvents and domestic pesticides will not be accepted.

Collections will take place at the following locations from Aug. 20 through Aug. 31:

  • Viterra, 9704 78 Street, Fort St John, B.C.
  • Viterra, 1-684 213 Road, Dawson Creek, B.C.
    Additional collections in British Columbia will also be held this fall in the Okanagan and Interior. For more information, visit www.cleanfarms.ca.
    For media inquiries, please contact:

Agricultural film and twine collection campaign comes to Yellowhead county

June 14, 2012 – Yellowhead, AB – This summer, farmers in Yellowhead County can recycle their unwanted twine and agricultural film by participating in a free pilot project.

“Farmers are always looking to make smart choices for their farms and for the environment.” says Jennifer Benson, agricultural services supervisor of Yellowhead County. “By offering this pilot with Cleanfarms, we are able to help farmers do this.”

Cleanfarms, an industry-led national not-for-profit agricultural waste management organization, is heading this pilot project, with the support from Yellowhead County and the Recycling Council of Alberta (RCA).

“Farmers don’t want to send materials to landfills, but there are limited options for agricultural film and twine.” says Barry Friesen, general manager of Cleanfarms. “We’re hoping that this pilot leads to a successful permanent program that is easy for farmers to use and that will allow us to preserve valuable landfill space.”

There is available to farmers at no cost. Farmers are invited to return their unwanted agricultural film, including silage cover, silage bags, bale wrap, greenhouse film, and twine to participating sites. All materials must be clean, dry, separated and bagged. Collection bags are available free of charge at the Edson Recycling Depot or the Yellowhead County East Services Centre. Grain bags, net wrap and feedbags will not be accepted.

Collections will take place at the following locations starting June 15, 2012:

  • Wildwood – NE 16-53-09-W5
  • Parkcourt – SE 35-54-08-W5
  • Peers – NW 10-54-14-W5
  • Edson Recycling Depot – 5237 1st ave. EdsonTo learn more, visit www.cleanfarms.ca, www.recycle.ab.ca, www.yellowheadcounty.ab.ca or www.edson.ca/residents/recycling-depot

Rocky View County collected more than 9,600 kilograms of obsolete pesticides

February 16, 2012 – Etobicoke, ON – Farmers in Rocky View County, Alta., turned in 9,635 kilograms of obsolete pesticides during a collection program last year.

“This program is a really important one,” says Barry Friesen, general manager of Cleanfarms, which partnered with Rocky View County to offer the program. “Farmers are always looking to make smart choices for their farms and for the environment. This program allows them to dispose of old or unwanted pesticides in an environmentally responsible way.”

The Rocky View County obsolete pesticide collection program was held at 12 locations over the course of the spring, summer and fall of 2011. Farmers were invited to drop off their unwanted pesticides at no cost.

“We are very happy with the partnership we formed with Cleanfarms,” says Joanne Walroth, solid waste and recycling officer for Rocky View County. “The partnership enables us to provide a safe and cost effective way for residents to recycle obsolete farm chemicals.”

The Cleanfarms obsolete pesticide collection program is a national, industry-led program that has collected more than 1.5 million kilograms of obsolete, commercial-grade pesticides since 1998. After collection, the pesticides are taken to a licensed disposal facility where they are disposed of through high temperature incineration.

“This was the second year in a row that Cleanfarms partnered with Rocky View County. This relationship continues to be a successful one – and one that benefits farmers, the community and the environment,” says Friesen.

For more information on the industry’s recycling initiatives, please visit www.Cleanfarms.ca.

Prince Edward Island farmers turned in 27,320 kilograms of obsolete pesticides last year

February 15, 2012 – Etobicoke, ON – Prince Edward Island farmers lined up to return their unwanted or obsolete pesticides last year, turning in more than 27,000 kilograms of product.

“This number is significant,” says Barry Friesen, general manager of Cleanfarms. “The success of this collection just reaffirms the commitment of PEI farmers to environmental responsibility.”

The program was operated by Cleanfarms, a national industry-led agricultural waste management organization. Cleanfarms partnered with three agri-retailers – PEI Agromart, Cavendish Agri Services and McCain Produce – who collected the obsolete pesticides at their locations. The collection took place over a two-week period in November.

“Farmers want a safe and environmentally responsible way to dispose of their old or unwanted pesticides and this program gives them just that,” says Friesen.

Since 1998, Prince Edward Island farmers have returned more than 69,000 kilograms of obsolete pesticides. After collection, the pesticides are taken to a licensed waste management facility where they are safely disposed of.

“The program offered by Cleanfarms provides an environmentally sustainable way for PEI farmers to dispose of unused or out of date pesticides. PEI farmers value the service and have used it to dispose of thousands of kilograms of pesticides. This is an excellent tool that provides us with a practical way to manage pesticides on farm,” says John Jamieson, executive director, PEI Federation of Agriculture.

The obsolete pesticide collection program generally comes to the province every three years or so. Farmers should safely store their unwanted pesticides until they can properly dispose of them through the obsolete pesticide collection program.

For more information, visit www.cleanfarms.ca.

Industry developing solutions to manage agricultural waste plastics in Saskatchewan

January 16, 2012 – The Government of Saskatchewan has partnered with Cleanfarms to develop an appropriate way to manage on-farm plastic waste, such as bale wrap and grain bags, in an effort to reduce the environmental footprint of farming in the province.

As it currently stands, there are either limited or no recycling options for many agricultural plastic waste products in Saskatchewan.

“We know that farmers are more than willing to participate in stewardship programs where they exist; they want to do the right thing. Cleanfarms currently operates a national empty pesticide container recycling program and an obsolete pesticide collection program, both of which have very high participation rates,” says Barry Friesen, general manager of Cleanfarms.

The challenge Prairie farmers have managing their plastic grain bags has been well documented as of late.

“We are pleased to see industry, government and the broader stakeholder community work together to develop a recycling program for farmers,” Saskatchewan Environment Minister Dustin Duncan said.

Cleanfarms recently did a study of the agricultural waste stewardship programs in the province. The research revealed that the most successful programs had government legislation mandating participation such as those to manage used oil, oil filters and their containers, tires, paint and electronics.

The Government of Saskatchewan has tasked Cleanfarms with bringing together stakeholders to develop the framework for a program to recycle agricultural plastics such as bale wrap, twine and grain bags.

“Saskatchewan is an innovative province that is well positioned to become a leader in agricultural plastics recycling,” says Friesen. “In many cases, the technology is already in place. Bridon Corage, a highly successful twine manufacturer with a plant in the province, is currently making new twine out of used twine.”

Cleanfarms led a consultation with industry stakeholders today, which will help guide its work going forward. Its recommendations on a potential program structure will be ready for the Ministry of Environment by early spring of this year.

About Cleanfarms

Cleanfarms is one of Canada’s leading agricultural waste management organizations. It currently operates a national empty pesticide container collection program and an obsolete pesticide collection campaign. To learn more, visit www.cleanfarms.ca.

Cleanfarms to develop program to manage agricultural plastic waste in Ontario

Jan 5 , 2012 – A new service for farmers who want to safely get rid of plastic agricultural waste, including bale wrap, will be piloted in 2012 in the Lake Simcoe watershed by Cleanfarms, a national, industry-led stewardship organization.

“This pilot project will lay the groundwork for a comprehensive program to responsibly manage all agricultural waste plastic across the province,” says Barry Friesen, general manager of Cleanfarms.

According to recent research conducted by Cleanfarms, farmers in Ontario generate more than 14,000 tonnes of non-nutrient based waste on their farms each year.

While there are stewardship programs in place for some agricultural waste products, there are many products for which no recycling options exist.

“Farmers don’t want to burn waste or send it to landfills but it’s difficult for them to be good stewards when there aren’t programs in place to help them,” says Friesen. “Where there are programs in place, farmers overwhelmingly choose to participate. The success of Cleanfarms’ empty pesticide container recycling program is a prime example.”

The pilot program in Lake Simcoe is being funded by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.

“I congratulate the folks at Cleanfarms for working with us to pilot this service that will help farmers better protect our environment,” said Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Ted McMeekin.

Cleanfarms’ empty pesticide container recycling program has been in operation since 1989 and its obsolete pesticide collection program began in 1998. Both have earned a reputation for being among the best agricultural stewardship programs in the world.

Funding for this program comes from the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs through the Canada-Ontario Agreement Respecting the Great Lakes Basin Ecosystem. The Canadian Animal Health Institute and industry have pledged additional cash and in-kind contributions.