Pilot Programs in British Columbia: Recycling Bale Wrap, Silage Bags/Bunker Covers, Baler Twine and Grain Bags

Across British Columbia, farmers are participating in pilot projects to better manage their twine, bale wrap, silage covers, and silage and grain bags*. These pilots are funded individually through agreements with regional districts. 

How it Works:

  • Check your region – Each area in BC is accepting different plastics. 
  • Prepare your plastics – Review the preparation and collection instructions detailed for your region.
  • Follow drop-off instructions – Each region has specific drop-off locations and availability schedules.

Click on the relevant regional district to learn more about which materials are included, learn how to prepare the materials, and find information on how to participate in each of the pilot projects. 

Pilot programs are being tested in specific Regional Districts at this time. The information collected in these pilots will be used to inform a comprehensive plan for the province around these materials. Please sign up for our newsletter to stay up to date on program developments.

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For more information about this program, please contact:

Carly Fraser
Special Projects Coordinator
fraserc@cleanfarms.ca | 416-736-8492

Fraser Valley Regional District

A pilot recycling program for bale wrap, silage bags/bunker covers is available to farmers in the Fraser Valley Regional District.

On-farm compactors will be used to densify plastics before transport to end markets in this pilot. To qualify to receive a compactor, you must have an environmental farm plan, and provide some business information.

Please get in touch with Carly Fraser (fraserc@cleanfarms.ca) to indicate your interest in a compactor.

What to Put In & What to Keep Out of a Compactor

What’s In
  • Silage bags/silo bags/tubes
  • Silage tarps/bunker cover
  • Plastic stretch bale wrap for silage and hay bales (individual or continuous wrap)
What’s Out
  • Construction/camping tarps
  • All other plastics and recyclables

FAQs

Both bale wrap and silage plastic are transported to recycling facilities, where they are shredded, washed, and then converted into plastic pellets. The pellets are then used to manufacture new plastic products such as plastic bags, plastic dimensional lumber, or plastic agricultural fence posts.

See our “What Becomes What” Guide to learn more about how agricultural plastics are reincorporated into new products.

Generally, plastics that are collected loose take up a large amount of space, are time consuming and difficult to handle with equipment, and they weigh very little, which is inefficient for transportation to a recycling facility.

Contact Special Projects Coordinator Carly Fraser (fraserc@cleanfarms.ca) to discuss how your region can get involved.

Contact Special Projects Coordinator Carly Fraser (fraserc@cleanfarms.ca) to discuss how your region can get involved.

How to use a manual compactor

Watch this video to learn more about how these compactors can help compress ag plastics, reduce contamination and facilitate transportation to collection sites or recycling facilities.

How to Prepare Bale Wrap and Silage Plastic for Compacting

Silage Plastic

Follow these 3 steps to prepare your used silage plastic for recycling:

  1. Shake – to remove spoiled silage, mud, ice, etc.
  2. Fold – into approximate 4’ squares.
  3. Store – 4′ square pieces on a pallet and use a weight to hold them in place. When ready to compact, lay the pieces flat in a compactor and compress them to densify.

  • 1) Shake & lay flat

  • 2) Fold four feet wide

  • 3) Fold into four foot squares

  • 4) Return folded plastic

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Bale Wrap

Follow these 3 steps to prepare your used bale wrap for recycling:

  1. Cut – the bale wrap into manageable pieces.
  2. Shake – to remove hay, mud, ice, etc.
  3. Store – pieces flat on a pallet and use a weight to hold them in place. When ready to compact, lay the pieces flat in a compactor and compress them to densify.

Thompson-Nicola Regional District

Select farms or ranches will be participating in a recycling pilot project for bale wrap and silage covers in Thompson-Nicola Regional District!

Participating producers will use on-site compactors to bale their material for easier storage and transport.

Please get in touch with Adriana Mailloux amailloux@tnrd.ca if you are interested in participating in this pilot.

What to Put In & What to Keep Out of a Compactor

What’s In
  • Silage bags/silo bags/tubes
  • Silage tarps/bunker cover
  • Plastic stretch bale wrap for silage and hay bales (individual or continuous wrap)
What’s Out
  • Construction/camping tarps
  • All other plastics and recyclables

FAQs

Both bale wrap and silage plastic are transported to recycling facilities, where they are shredded, washed, and then converted into plastic pellets. The pellets are then used to manufacture new plastic products such as plastic bags, plastic dimensional lumber, or plastic agricultural fence posts.

See our “What Becomes What” Guide to learn more about how agricultural plastics are reincorporated into new products.

Generally, plastics that are collected loose take up a large amount of space, are time consuming and difficult to handle with equipment, and they weigh very little, which is inefficient for transportation to a recycling facility.

Contact Special Projects Coordinator Carly Fraser (fraserc@cleanfarms.ca) to discuss how your region can get involved.

Contact Special Projects Coordinator Carly Fraser (fraserc@cleanfarms.ca) to discuss how your region can get involved.

How to use a manual compactor

Learn more about how these compactors can help compress ag plastics, reduce contamination and facilitate transportation to collection sites or recycling facilities.

How to Prepare Bale Wrap and Silage Plastic for Compacting

Silage Plastic

Follow these 3 steps to prepare your used silage plastic for recycling:

  1. Shake – to remove spoiled silage, mud, ice, etc.
  2. Fold – into approximate 4’ squares.
  3. Store – 4′ square pieces on a pallet and use a weight to hold them in place. When ready to compact, lay the pieces flat in a compactor and compress them to densify.

  • 1) Shake & lay flat

  • 2) Fold four feet wide

  • 3) Fold into four foot squares

  • 4) Return folded plastic

PreviousNext
1234

Bale Wrap

Follow these 3 steps to prepare your used bale wrap for recycling:

  1. Cut – the bale wrap into manageable pieces.
  2. Shake – to remove hay, mud, ice, etc.
  3. Store – pieces flat on a pallet and use a weight to hold them in place. When ready to compact, lay the pieces flat in a compactor and compress them to densify.

Peace River Regional District

A pilot recycling program for baler twine and grain bags is available to farmers in the Peace River Regional District.

Twine

Follow these steps to ensure that your twine can be accepted and recycled:

  1. Pick up a collection bag from participating PRRD collection sites.
  2. Shake out your material, removing as much debris, dirt or ice/snow as possible.
  3. Place twine directly into the collection bag. Secure a full bag closed with twine or zip tie.
  4. Return bag full of material back to your local collection site

Grain Bags

Get ready to recycle grain bags!

Grain bags need to be machine-rolled tightly to be properly prepared for recycling markets. Preparation involves these 3 steps:

  1. Shake – Remove debris; grain bags need to be as clean as possible with care to remove as much organic material (spoilage, dirt, etc.) before or during rolling. Excessively dirty or loose/unrolled bags may be rejected.
  2. Roll – Machine-roll grain bags and secure firmly with twine. The PRRD has established eight dedicated collection sites and offers a grain bag roller for rent at a rate of $50 per day. Farmers can contact the PRRD at 250-784-3200 or via email at environmental.services@prrd.bc.ca for more info.
  3. Return – Return your well-rolled plastic bale to a local collection site.
Keep it clean
  • Shake or sweep away debris
  • Remove pieces that are too dirty
  • Secure the bags closed
  • Roll grain bags with a grain bag roller
  • Secure bags and rolls with twine
  • Store away from mud and water
Not accepted
  • Bale wrap
  • Feed or seed bags
  • Net wrap, nylon ropes, sisal twine
  • Mixed materials in one bag
  • Silage bags not used to store grain or silage tarps
  • Loose drop-offs
  • Excessive hay, silage, dirt and other debris
  • Large grain totes and small grain sacks
  • Hand-rolled bags