A multi-phased project aimed at developing a long-term, sustainable plan for managing agricultural plastic waste such as grain bags, bale and silage wrap and twine will begin this fall.

Manitoba Sustainable Development has asked Cleanfarms to lead this project which will include the expansion of a government-funded pilot project and stakeholder consultations. This will build into an implementation plan for a province-wide, industry-funded program in 2020.

Farmers currently have access to 19 collection sites through this pilot project and turned in over 61 metric tonnes of film and twine for recycling in 2016 and 2017. Collections are primarily offered through rural municipalities who strongly support this initiative that helps divert these materials from their landfills.

Manitoba’s ag plastic industry, growers and municipalities will be asked to provide input into a plan that will outline how ag plastics would be managed using extended producer responsibility, the model used to manage many of the province’s existing recycling programs. Cleanfarms will also engage with stakeholders across the Prairies to encourage harmonization.

The final phase of this work will provide recommendations for transitioning the pilots into a program that is regulated under Manitoba’s Packaging and Printed Paper Stewardship Regulation. This will provide farmers with increased access to collection sites and put appropriate measures in place to transfer financing to industry.

Cleanfarms currently operates Saskatchewan’s industry-funded grain bag recycling program, in addition to programs for empty pesticide and fertilizer containers and obsolete pesticide and animal health medications.

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