Profile: Quebec-based farmer

The challenge: Managing six bales of plastics annually on a remote island northeast of Quebec City

The island of Saint-Antoine-de-l’Isle-aux-Grues is a small island community that covers under 25 square kilometres, located on the St. Lawrence River northeast of Quebec City. This is where Cédric Guillemette runs his dairy farm.

In important ways, l’Isle-aux-Grues is a microcosm of what’s at stake with the circular economy in Canada —illustrating the impact of innovative sustainability tools like the ag plastic compactor. Cédric, like all dairy farmers, is deeply invested in being a responsible steward of the land and understands that a sustainable solution for dealing with ag plastics is vital to protecting his values and community.

Thanks to Cleanfarms (known as AgriRÉCUP in Quebec) and Dairy Farmers of Canada (DFC), Guillemette recycles about one bale of ag plastics every two months—significantly reducing the waste that would otherwise be exported to a municipal landfill site off the island. That outcome is a direct result of the ag plastic compactor provided to all farmers on the island through AgriRÉCUP’s pilot project, operated in collaboration with DFC, with the goal of supporting dairy farmers in their desire to reduce their environmental impact.

“It’s convenient and impactful,” he explains. “Especially here on a small island with a tiny population, where farms would otherwise produce more plastic waste than all the residents combined.”

Guillemette believes it’s a producer’s duty to reduce their environmental footprint and that every effort on every farm makes a lasting difference. That’s why he regularly shows his neighbours how to make full use of the plastic compactor and is consistently thinking about ways he can expand its use on his own farm.

“What I save is a lot of time and I also gain space,” he says. But the benefits don’t stop there. Guillemette also points out that every step in the direction of greater circularity means it helps declutter the farm, improve sanitation, and cut the frequency of having to empty waste containers, which saves on waste-management fees.

Cédric’s approach to plastic waste management plays a key role in the pride he feels as a Canadian dairy farmer and the legacy he wants to leave behind on his farm and in his community. “Making an effort,” he concludes, “this is what each and every one of us can do.”