Ag plastics are important tools that help farmers store feed for their livestock, bring crop inputs to their farm, and control moisture.
This three-year, government funded project will increase farmer access to recycling programs and explore ways to deliver long-term, permanent programs. These programs will help Canadian farmers continue to improve the sustainability of their operations.
This project is funded in part by the Government of Canada through Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Canadian Agricultural Strategic Priorities Program (CASPP), a $50.3 million, five-year investment to help the agricultural sector adapt and remain competitive.
Cleanfarms’ Building a Zero-Plastic-Waste Strategy for Agriculture is divided into three main activities. We will update this page as these activities unfold.
Grower survey
A grower survey will track farmer attitudes and behaviours related to agricultural plastics over the course of the project.
This activity is divided into two parts:
- Fall 2020 – Currently being fielded, this research will provide important baseline data prior to the launch of pilot projects. Research is underway in British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Ontario, Quebec and the Maritimes.
- Fall 2022/Winter 2023 – This phase of the grower survey will provide important measurements that will determine how access to recycling programs has improved and farmer uptake.
Consensus building
Key stakeholders, including producer groups, municipal associations, suppliers and recyclers will be brought together to build a path forward to manage agricultural plastics. Consensus building activities are divided into two sessions:
- Winter 2021 – This first round of consensus building, which will take place virtually, will be largely educational and outline the program development process. Stakeholders will have the opportunity to provide input into program development.
- Winter 2023 – This next round of consensus building will bring stakeholders back together to evaluate long term options and the project’s success.
Pilot projects
Pilot projects provide hands on experience, demonstrate proof of concept, determine what collection and processing options are currently available and help explore end markets. Plans are still underway to determine which regions are best suited to offer convenient pilot projects to Canadian farmers.
Agricultural waste data
With the financial support of the Government of Canada through Environment and Climate Change Canada, two important data gathering exercises are presently underway that will inform this strategy:
- An ag waste characterization will provide up to date figures on the types and volumes of on-farm plastic wastes used on Canadian farms.
- An end market assessment will identify facilities that can manage or recycle on-farm plastics wastes in order to create a more circular economy for agricultural plastics.
These reports will be available in Winter 2021.
FAQs
What types of ag plastics recycling programs are available in my province?
Learn more about what types of Cleanfarms programs are available in your province.
How are regions selected to participate in pilot projects?
The goal of the pilot projects is largely to test out different logistics, communication tactics and collection mechanisms in targeted areas. This will allow Cleanfarms to determine if the pilots will work on a larger scale. During year 1 (2020-04-01 to 2021-03-21), Cleanfarms is primarily working in regions where farmers have shown interest in participating and collection sites have some familiarity with pilot programming or ag plastics recycling.
January 2021
