Cleanfarms Puts Feet on the Ground in Alberta with New Lethbridge Office

Lethbridge, AB – Cleanfarms, a Canada-wide stewardship organization best known for its ag-plastics recycling programs for pesticide and fertilizer jugs and totes and grain bags has opened an Alberta office in Lethbridge.

“Alberta’s importance as an executive hub for agricultural industry is growing. That combined with its position as a Prairie powerhouse for agriculture in Canada, points to the need for Cleanfarms to have feet on the ground in the province, too,” said General Manager Barry Friesen.

Cleanfarms currently has offices in Quebec, Ontario and Saskatchewan.

The Lethbridge office will be staffed by Davin Johnson, an environmental scientist who grew up in Alberta and has worked for the past decade in the province’s oil and gas, academic, government and agricultural sectors. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Geography from the University of Lethbridge.

Already familiar with Cleanfarms programs, Davin has helped to organize Cleanfarms’ Unwanted Pesticide and Livestock/Equine Medication Collection program, which collects old and obsolete pesticides and animal health medications from farmers for safe disposal, and the newly launched ‘Alberta Ag-plastic. Recycle it!’ pilot program that has commissioned 20 locations throughout the province to collect grain bags and twine for recycling. Cleanfarms operates the pilot on behalf of the Alberta-based Agricultural Plastics Recycling Group.

“With the grain bag and twine recycling program now underway in a progressive province that is evolving waste management and producer responsibility programs, it’s a logical and important next step for Cleanfarms to have an Alberta-based office,” Friesen said.

Cleanfarms, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, is the only industry funded organization working across Canada that develops and operates waste product and packaging stewardship for the agricultural community. It utilizes a vast network of industry distributors, ag-retailers and in Alberta and Manitoba, municipalities, to operate collection sites where farmers can take ag-waste plastics and other non-organic, ag-waste materials for recycling or proper disposal.

Cleanfarms was established specifically to run the successful small jug recycling program originally created in 1989. The jug recycling program is Cleanfarms’ signature national agricultural recycling program with a 65% recovery rate. Other ag-waste management programs include:

  • Empty pesticide and fertilizer containers for large containers, e.g., totes and barrels, operated nationally
  • Unwanted and old pesticide and livestock/equine medication collection, operated nationally
  • Empty seed and pesticide bags collected in eastern Canada with pilot programs underway in the Prairies, and
  • Empty grain bag collection now in its third year of operation in Saskatchewan.

About Cleanfarms
Cleanfarms is a non-profit industry stewardship organization committed to environmental responsibility through the proper management of agricultural plastic packaging and non-organic product waste. Recycled agricultural plastics are made into new products such as farm drainage tile, flexible irrigation pipe and plastic bags.

Time to Recycle those Empty Grain Bags in Alberta; Cleanfarms’ Collection Sites are Ready and Waiting

It’s winter on the prairies, so it’s time to empty grain bags to move last fall’s harvest to dryers and then to market. For growers who use grain bags, that means recycling them instead of landfilling, storing or worse, burning them. For some Alberta farmers, this year could be the first time they’ve had an option to recycle. That’s where Cleanfarms comes in.

Under the newly minted ‘Alberta Ag-plastic. Recycle It!’ program led by the Agricultural Plastics Recycling Group (APRG) and operated by Cleanfarms, farmers will find it more convenient to locate places that will take empty grain bags and twine for recycling.

For year one of this three-year pilot, Cleanfarms has established 20 collection sites throughout the province. Most are currently taking rolled, tied grain bags of any size, and twine for recycling. Some, however, just take grain bags and a few take only twine. The full roster of collection locations and what they take can be found on Cleanfarms.ca

According to a recent survey conducted for Cleanfarms, 92% of Alberta farmers (growing crops or livestock) would be very (68%) or somewhat (24%) likely to participate in a recycling program for grain bags if a collection site was in their area. Similarly, 86% said they would be very (56%) or somewhat (30%) likely to participate in a twine recycling program if a collection facility was in their area.

Farm plastic waste studies undertaken by Cleanfarms estimated Alberta farmers generate as much as 2500 tonnes of low-density polyethylene grain bags and up to 3000 tonnes of polypropylene twine annually, and all of this is available for recycling.

“Alberta farmers are ready and willing to recycle used grain bags and twine, and with approximately 5500 tonnes of viable agricultural plastic available to be recycled, that’s an unbeatable combination for a successful program. Plus, those recovered resources will be made into new products for farm use. This new Alberta recycling program is a win for everyone,” said Cleanfarms General Manager Barry Friesen. Recycled twine is used in many different applications, including roofing tiles and new twine.

Farmers preparing to recycle grain bags should know they need to shake them to remove debris, roll and tightly secure them with twine. Some collection sites have rollers and compactors available so farmers should contact sites for information beforehand.

Twine should not be mixed with any other plastics and needs to be shaken to remove debris, placed loose in a Cleanfarms recycling bag and tied closed. Cleanfarms recycling bags are available at rural municipalities and ‘Alberta Ag-plastic. Recycle It!’ collection sites.

Farmers should contact collection sites for hours of operation and to schedule a drop-off time if assistance is required for unloading. Information is provided at Cleanfarms.ca

The pilot is being funded through a grant from the Government of Alberta and administered by Alberta Beef Producers.

About Cleanfarms

Cleanfarms is a non-profit industry stewardship organization committed to environmental responsibility through the proper management of agricultural plastic packaging and product waste. Recycled agricultural plastics are made into new products such as farm drainage tile, flexible irrigation pipe and plastic bags. Cleanfarms.ca

About the Agricultural Plastics Recycling Group

The APRG is a group made up of over 20 stakeholder organizations from sectors across Alberta representing municipalities, producers, non-profits, recyclers and retailers among others. For a full list of members and more details please visit www.aprg.ca.