MOOSE JAW, SK (June 25,2021) – With the prevalence of canola, grain and forage seed crops as well as beef cattle farming in the Peace River Regional District (PRRD), it is no surprise that plastic grain bags and baler twine are important agricultural tools for farmers/producers who call this part of northern British Columbia home.

Important as grain bags and baler twine are in many farm operations, managing the used materials when farmers are finished with them can be a challenge. Until now, the used material has been either landfilled or stored on farms. But that’s about to change.

Beginning this week, Cleanfarms, with the support of the PRRD, is launching a pilot to enable local farmers to recycle the baler twine and grain bags at no charge by taking them to one of eight collection sites located throughout the district.

Cleanfarms’ contractors will pick up the material from the collection sites and transport it to recycling facilities in Canada and the USA where it will be processed for reuse in new products such as car parts and plastic bags.

“We estimate farmers in the PRRD generate about 70 tonnes of used agricultural baler twine and grain bags annually,” said Cleanfarms Executive Director Barry Friesen. “By taking the used ag plastic to collection sites to be recycled, local farmers can keep their farm properties clean and tidy, and contribute to sustainable use of natural resources. It is a solution that meets the challenge of managing the used materials today and contributes to a cleaner environment for tomorrow’s farm families.

“Every tonne of grain bag plastic and kilometer of baler twine requires natural resources and energy to manufacturer. By recycling these materials, we ensure that we use their full value which fuels a circular economy for agricultural products in Canada. That’s something we can all get behind,” Friesen added.

Cleanfarms plans to expand pilots like this, which target used agricultural plastic across the country to achieve a goal of zero plastic waste to landfill in agriculture.

“We are very proud of the way residents in our community participate in the recycling programs offered through various stewardship programs. This is a special new program for farmers and for the agricultural community that addresses ag plastics and we are pleased to partner with Cleanfarms to make it happen. We look forward to seeing excellent results from PRRD farmers that will lead to a better understand of how to achieve zero plastic waste in the agricultural sector in years to come,” said PRRD Board Chair Brad Sperling.

The collection sites are located at the Cecil Lake, Prespatou, Tomslake, Rolla and Buick Creek Transfer Stations, and at the Bessborough, Chetwynd and North Peace Regional Landfill sites.

To recycle the ag twine, farmers must place it loose and free of debris in large Cleanfarms collection bags that are available free of charge at any of the collection sites. Grain bags must be machine rolled and securely tied. Both can be dropped off at the designated collection sites free of charge.

Cleanfarms operates permanent programs throughout the country to collect and recycle pesticide and fertilizer containers, seed and pesticide bags in eastern Canada, and grain bags in the Prairies. In addition to the recycling programs, Cleanfarms collects unwanted pesticides and old, obsolete livestock/equine medications for safe disposal in a program that rotates into regions of Canada every three years.

BC joins Saskatchewan, Ontario, Quebec and Prince Edward Island in collecting baler twine in this series of pilots to expand collection of used ag plastics from farms for recycling.

The Cleanfarms pilots are funded in part by the Government of Canada through Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Canadian Agricultural Strategic Priorities Program (CASPP). The government is investing $50.3 million over five years in a number of projects to help the agricultural sector adapt and remain competitive.

Process for Preparing Materials for Recycling in the PRRD

Taking care to prepare materials properly helps ensure that they can be accepted for recycling; here’s how.

Twine

Use a collection bag to contain used twine, and return full bags to a nearby collection site.

1. Shake the twine to remove debris. This works best when it is dry.
2. Run a gloved hand along the twine to remove clumps of dirt and/or snow in winter.
3. Place twine directly into a collection bag.
4. Secure the bag closed with a zip tie or twine and return to your closest collection site.

Note: do not include net wrap in the bag with the twine. Mixing net wrap with twine will make the whole bag unrecyclable.

Grain Bags

Grain bags need to be tightly machine rolled to be accepted for recycling. In general, preparation involves these 3 steps:

1. Shake – Remove debris and as much organic material (spoilage, dirt, etc.) before or during rolling. Excessively dirty or loose/unrolled bags may be rejected.
2. Roll – Prepare grain bags by rolling with a grain bag roller. Please contact Cleanfarms for information about accessing a grain bag roller.
3. Return – Return your well-rolled plastic bale to a collection site.

Old Used Plastic Materials Stored on Farms

Farmers in the PRRD may have collected various types of old, unusable plastic twine and grain bags over the years. If these materials cannot be separated and prepared according to the procedure, farmers are advised to dispose of them through regular landfill or transfer stations. Free disposal of legacy material that is not recyclable is available through the PRRD’s spring and fall cleanup days. Only material that is prepared for recycling will be accepted as part of the pilot.

Not Accepted in this Pilot

Materials that are not accepted in this pilot project include: bale wrap, feed or seed bags, net wrap, nylon rope, sisal twine, silage bags or silage tarps.

Learn more at this Cleanfarms program page.

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

MOOSE JAW, SK (June 18,2021) – Farmers in the Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako (RDBN) in British Columbia will be able to recycle used agricultural plastic materials such as baler twine and bale wrap at no charge in a new Cleanfarms pilot project launching next week.

The Cleanfarms pilot, operated in partnership with the RDBN, enables farmers to collect used plastic baler twine, bale wrap, silage bags and bunker covers once they are finished with them on the farm and to take them to one of seven collection sites located throughout the district for recycling.

Cleanfarms will pick up the material from the collection sites and transport it to recycling facilities in Canada and the USA where it will be processed for reuse in new products such as car parts and plastic bags.

“We estimate farmers in Bulkley-Nechako generate about 215 tonnes of these types of used agricultural plastics annually,” said Cleanfarms Executive Director Barry Friesen. “We’re excited that through this pilot, farmers will be able to manage these used materials in a way that is both environmentally responsible and helps them keep their farms clean and free of waste ag plastic materials.”

Until now, farmers either landfilled these materials or stored them on the farm. This pilot gives them options for seeing materials recycled when they no longer have a need for them.

“Every silage bag, bale wrap and bunker cover, and every kilometer of baler twine requires natural resources and energy to manufacturer. By recycling, we ensure that we use the materials to their full extent, which fuels a circular economy for agricultural products in Canada,” Friesen said.

Cleanfarms plans to expand pilots like this, which target used agricultural plastic across the country to achieve a goal of zero plastic waste to landfill in agriculture.

“BC has a strong track record as a leader in waste reduction and recovery programs. By partnering with Cleanfarms to offer this pilot to our farmers, we are helping them to keep these ag plastic materials out of our landfills and out of the environment. This is a positive step toward more effective waste management in our community and our province,” said, Mark Fisher, RDBN’s Area A Director and Chair of the Waste Management Committee. Mr. Fisher is particularly excited to see the development of more local end-market options for materials, and looks forward to agriculture contributing to the circular economy.

The collection sites are located at the Fort St. James, Smithers/Telkwa, Southside, Burns Lake, Vanderhoof and Fraser Lake Transfer Stations, and at the Knockholt Landfill.

To recycle the ag plastic materials, farmers can pick up large collection bags free of charge at any of the collection sites. As much as possible, each material type, e.g., twine, bale wrap and silage bags/bunker covers, should be placed into separate bags to keep the various types of plastic separated. Larger pieces can be bundled and secured with twine, then the full bags and bundles can be dropped off at the designated collection sites free of charge.

Cleanfarms operates permanent programs throughout the country to collect and recycle pesticide and fertilizer containers, seed and pesticide bags in eastern Canada, and large grain storage bags that are used primarily on the Prairies. In addition to the recycling programs, Cleanfarms collects unwanted pesticides and old, obsolete livestock/equine medications for safe disposal in a program that rotates into regions of Canada every three years.

BC joins Saskatchewan, Ontario, Quebec and Prince Edward Island in collecting baler twine in this series of pilots to expand collection of used ag plastics from farms for recycling.

The Cleanfarms pilots are funded in part by the Government of Canada through Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Canadian Agricultural Strategic Priorities Program (CASPP). The government is investing $50.3 million over five years in a number of projects to help the agricultural sector adapt and remain competitive.

Process for Preparing Materials for Recycling in the RDBN

Taking care to prepare materials properly helps ensure that they can be accepted for recycling; here’s how.

Twine

• Shake the twine to remove debris. This works best when it is dry.
• Run a gloved hand along the twine to remove clumps of dirt and/or snow in winter.
• Place twine directly into a collection bag.
• Note: do not include net wrap in the bag with the twine. Mixing net wrap with twine will make the whole bag unrecyclable. Net wrap is not accepted in this program.

Bale Wrap

• Shake the bale wrap to remove debris (hay, ice, mud). This works best when the bale wrap is dry.
• Place the bale wrap directly into a collection bag; immediately store it in a grassy or gravelled area.
• Avoid bagging bale wrap which has large clumps of mud or hay.

Silage Bags and Bunker Covers

• Shake the plastic to remove debris (spoiled silage, mud, ice). This works best when the plastic is dry.
• If necessary, sweep large pieces of plastic to remove as much debris as possible.
• Fold and tightly roll large pieces of plastic and secure with twine.
• Place smaller pieces of plastic in a collection bag.
• Avoid bagging plastic that has large clumps of spoiled silage or mud.

Old Used Plastic Materials Stored on Farms

Farmers in the RDBN may have collected various types of old, unusable plastic twine, bale wrap, silage bags and bunker covers over the years. If these materials cannot be separated and prepared according to the procedure, farmers are advised to dispose of them through regular landfill or transfer stations. Only material that is prepared for recycling will be accepted as part of the pilot.

Learn more about this Cleanfarms program.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario (June 8, 2021) – PEI farmers produce an estimated 66 tonnes of used agricultural baler twine annually, according to a Cleanfarms study. Until recently, recycling programs to manage this material when it was no longer needed were not available. But that has changed.

Under a new Cleanfarms project launched in partnership with the Island Waste Management Corporation (IWMC), farmers can now recycle their used agricultural baler twine, and in the process, advance their farm sustainability goals.

Cleanfarms is a national industry stewardship organization that develops and operates programs to collect and recycle waste agricultural plastics giving farmers more opportunities to be stewards of their land for their own farm communities and for next generations.

“By making it possible for PEI farmers to recycle used baler twine, we are helping them keep their farms clean and free of waste ag plastic materials. What’s more, we’re feeding the circular economy by retaining the value of these natural resources and reinvesting it to make new products. It’s a welcome outcome for everyone,” said Barry Friesen, Cleanfarms executive director.

The collection sites are located at six facilities around the province that already collect waste plastic bale wrap from farmers under an IWMC program. Under that existing agreement, Cleanfarms picks up the collected waste ag bale wrap and transports it to North American recycling facilities.

“PEI has a strong commitment to waste management programs that recover waste materials for recycling. IWMC welcomes this new partnership opportunity to work with Cleanfarms to expand recycling options for farmers. Keeping waste ag plastics like used baler twine out of our landfills is another step toward a more effective waste management program in our province,” said Karen MacDonald, IWMC Chief Executive Officer.

Used baler twine not only takes up space in landfill sites, it also can be particularly troublesome because it can wrap around and cause damage to landfill equipment.

“The PEI Federation of Agriculture is eager to see the implementation of a baler twine collection pilot project on PEI,” said PEIFA President Ron Maynard. “This initiative gives Island farmers a new way to demonstrate their commitment to environmental sustainability, and we hope that it will become a permanent and efficient way to recycle a much needed farm input.”

In provinces throughout the country, Cleanfarms operates permanent programs that collect and recycle pesticide and fertilizer small and large containers, seed and pesticide bags in eastern Canada, and large grain storage bags that are used primarily on the Prairies. In addition to the recycling programs, Cleanfarms collects unwanted pesticides and old, obsolete livestock/equine medications for safe disposal in a program that rotates into regions of Canada every three years.

PEI joins Quebec, Saskatchewan, Ontario and British Columbia in collecting baler twine in a series of pilots that Cleanfarms is operating across Canada this year to expand collection of used ag plastics from farms.

The Cleanfarms pilots across the country are funded in part by the Government of Canada through Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Canadian Agricultural Strategic Priorities Program (CASPP). The government is investing $50.3 million over five years in a number of projects to help the agricultural sector adapt and remain competitive.

“We are excited that this PEI twine pilot is the first Cleanfarms CASPP project to take place in Atlantic Canada. It’s an important inaugural step for Cleanfarms, for IWMC and for PEI farmers because until now, there has been no recycling option for this vital farm operation tool,” Friesen said.

Details for Recycling

To participate in the program, farmers will be asked to get a Cleanfarms recycling bag from their ag retailer or an IWMC collection site. There is no charge for the bag. After shaking to remove as much debris as possible, farmers place the loose twine in the recycling bag, secure the top of the bag tightly with twine or a zip tie and poke a few small holes in the bottom to drain any water. The bags make the twine easier to contain, transport and keep clean. Farmers drop off the bags at a local twine recycling collection site at no charge. Netting is not accepted in this collection program.

Learn more at cleanfarms.ca

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

Karen MacDonald, IWMC Chief Executive Officer, Island Waste Management Corporation
1-888-280-8111
kmacdonald@iwmc.pe.ca