Canadian Farmers Set Record Recycling Rate for Ag-Plastic Jugs –76% in 2020

In 2020, the recycling rate for empty ag plastic pesticide and fertilizer containers surged to 76% from 71% in 2019.

ETOBICOKE, ON (May 31, 2021) – Every year for the past 32 years, Cleanfarms has calculated the rolling three-year average recycling rate of agricultural pesticide and fertilizer containers that are 23L and smaller. The great news is that the 2020 recycling rate just calculated shows another major surge in recycling these containers in 2020 at 76% compared to 71% in 2019. This sets an all-time record for recycling empty ag plastic jugs in Canada.

The recycling rate measures the percentage of containers collected for recycling compared to the number of containers sold into the market in that year. The three-year rolling average recovery rate evens out the rate over three years taking into consideration factors which could cause variations such as differing needs due to weather. The rolling average rate in 2018 was 64%.

“Canadian farmers deserve huge credit for these unparalleled results,” said Cleanfarms Executive Director Barry Friesen. “They are bringing back rinsed, empty containers in increasing numbers year over year, which means more of these ag plastic jugs are getting recycled into new products in a circular economy.”

In total, farmers returned more than 5.5 million pesticide and fertilizer jugs 23L and smaller in 2020. Placed end to end, that number of containers collected in one year would stretch from Montreal, Quebec to Brandon, Manitoba.

Canadian farmers typically purchase crop input products such as fertilizers and pesticides in easy-to-handle 23L jugs. The crop protection industry started a volunteer stewardship program for empty containers in 1989. In 2010, Cleanfarms took over the program and expanded it nationally. Until four years ago, the recycling rate hovered annually between 60% and 65%.

In addition to farmers, Cleanfarms attributes the increased recycling rate to the more than 1,200 ag-retail and municipal operations across the country that run recycling collection sites and that work with farmers to get the empty, rinsed containers back. Cleanfarms is also developing incentive programs like offering free recycling collection bags that make it easier for farmers to collect, store and transport empty containers.

“For the last few years in our promotion and education materials we’ve been asking farmers to bring back 100% of their empty containers. We want to recycle every one of them and it looks like we’re getting closer to that goal,” Friesen said. “We know Canadian farmers are committed stewards of their land and that they want to be environmentally responsible when it comes to how they manage this plastic ag packaging on their farms. We are grateful that they are responding positively to these programs,” Friesen said.

Recovered agricultural plastics are recycled into new products such as farm drainage tile, flexible irrigation pipe and plastic bags.

Cleanfarms is an agricultural industry stewardship organization that contributes to a healthier environment and a sustainable future by recovering and recycling agricultural and related industry plastics, packaging and products. It is funded by its members in the crop protection, fertilizer, seed, animal health medication, bale wrap and grain bag industries. It has staff located in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan; Lethbridge, Alberta; Etobicoke, Ontario; and St-Bruno, Quebec.

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Contact: Barbara McConnell, Cleanfarms Media
416-452-2373
bmcconnell@cleanfarms.ca

Manitoba launches new agri-plastics stewardship program with Cleanfarms as program operator

Today Manitoba’s Conservation and Climate Minister Sarah Guillemard and Agriculture and Resource Development Minister Blaine Pedersen announced the launch of a new provincially regulated agricultural plastics stewardship program to include used grain bags and plastic baler twine. Cleanfarms will operate the stewardship program on behalf of the agricultural industry and manage the collection and recycling of agricultural plastics. View the Ministers’ announcement.

Cleanfarms Releases 2020 Annual Report Highlighting Gains in Collecting Ag-Waste for Recycling

Farmers/producers across Canada returned more than 5.5M empty pesticide and fertilizer jugs to Cleanfarms for recycling in 2020 bringing the total since the program began to 137.4M recycled. – Cleanfarms photo

ETOBICOKE, ON – Cleanfarms released its 2020 Annual Report last week highlighting the performance of its permanent programs and pilot projects that recover used agricultural products and packaging for recycling or environmentally responsible disposal.

The recovery numbers reflected in the report show clearly that Canadian farmers will use environmental programs that help them manage ag waste like pesticide and fertilizer containers, grain bags, baler twine, unwanted and old pesticides, livestock and equine medications, seed and pesticide bags, and more when they have access to them.

Despite the challenges of a year restrained by the COVID-19 pandemic, farmers/producers returned more than 5.5 million pesticide and fertilizer jugs 23 litres and smaller, on par with 2019 numbers when there was no pandemic to interfere with the open dates of collection locations. The 2020 collection brought the total number of jugs recovered for recycling since the beginning of the program in 1989 to more than 137.4 million.

Placed end to end, that number of containers would stretch around the world at the equator 1.3 times. Plastic containers are recycled into new products such as farm drainage tile.

In the Prairie provinces, a growing number of farmers/producers are using grain bags as temporary storage for cereal grains. In Saskatchewan, where recycling grain bags is regulated under a provincial program, the amount returned has doubled to 2,536 tonnes since inception of the regulated program in 2018. Of the farmers who use grain bags, 59% report they recycle them.

The combination of grain bags, baler twine and ag-film collected in Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta added up to about 6,900 tonnes since these materials started to be collected in Cleanfarms-operated pilot projects.

The collection of empty agricultural seed, pesticide and fertilizer bags in Eastern Canada stayed fairly constant in 2020 with a little less than 421,000 kgs collected in 2020, down about two percent from 2019 numbers. Eastern Canada’s ag retail collection sites opened in July instead of May due to COVID-19 safety precautions, which likely contributed to the slight drop. Seed, pesticide and fertilizer bags are collected for environmentally responsible disposal.

At the core of Cleanfarms’ commitment to help farmers manage agriculture packaging and products responsibly is its program to collect unwanted pesticide and old livestock/equine medications. Operated in partnership with the Canadian Animal Health Institute, the program provides an essential, no-cost service to farmers allowing them to take old, obsolete materials to Cleanfarms drop-off locations. The program rotates to all regions of Canada every three years. In 2020, farmers in the British Columbia’s Vancouver Island and Fraser Valley, southern Saskatchewan, Quebec and Prince Edward Island took materials to collection events.  In total, more than 298,000 kgs of unwanted pesticides and 3,380 kg of obsolete farm animal medications were collected and transported by a licensed waste hauler to specialized facilities where they are disposed of safely.

Pilot projects in Alberta, Manitoba and Quebec focused on collecting grain bags, bale and silage wrap and baler twine as a means of collecting information about participation levels, collection systems and end-market development. This information will aid Cleanfarms in expanding these programs to regions across Canada where they can have the largest impact on effectively managing agricultural non-organic waste generated on Canadian farms.

“Cleanfarms’ industry-funded programs give farmers options to manage ag waste in ways that help them steward their land for present and future generations,” said Cleanfarms General Manager Barry Friesen. “Our goal is to help farmers reduce the amount of waste generated behind the farmgate, and to offer programs that help farmers fuel the circular economy by recycling instead of having to landfill these materials.”

Information about Cleanfarms programs is available at cleanfarms.ca

Cleanfarms is an agricultural industry stewardship organization that contributes to a healthier environment and a sustainable future by recovering and recycling agricultural and related industry plastics, packaging and products. It is funded by its members in the crop protection, fertilizer, seed, animal health medication, bale wrap and grain bag industries. It has staff located in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan; Lethbridge, Alberta; Etobicoke, Ontario; and St-Bruno, Quebec.

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Contact: Barbara McConnell, Cleanfarms Media
416-452-2373
bmcconnell@cleanfarms.ca