Events at specific locations from October 25 to 29 —

Containers of unwanted, old pesticides and obsolete livestock, equine and farm animal medications recovered at a recent Cleanfarms collection event. – Cleanfarms photo

(Lethbridge, AB) October 11, 2021 – Cleanfarms is back in southern Alberta holding one-day events in 20 locations from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., October 25 to 29 to collect unwanted and old agricultural pesticides and obsolete livestock, equine and farm animal medications.

Cleanfarms operates this program so farmers can dispose of these unwanted materials keeping them out of the environment and managed for safe disposal.

Cleanfarms’ “Unwanted Pesticides and Old Livestock/Equine Medications” collection program is funded entirely by its crop input members and through a partnership with the Canadian Animal Health Institute (CAHI). The program rotates into various regions across Canada every three years. Farmers can use the program at no charge to them.

“Farmers wait for this program to come back to their region. We know they are eager to dispose of these old materials safely without risk to the environment. It helps them keep their farms clean and sustainable,” said Cleanfarms Executive Director Barry Friesen.

Since the program began more than 10 years ago, 3.7 million kg of unwanted pesticides and 52,000 kg of obsolete farm animal (cattle, horses, goats, poultry) health medications have been collected across the country.

This year’s collection sites are (in alpha order):

• BROOKS – Thursday, Oct. 28 – Nutrien Ag Solutions-Brooks, 403-362-2072
• CARSELAND – Friday, Oct. 29 – Richardson Pioneer, 403-934-9267
• CARSTAIRS – Friday, Oct. 29 – CORE Ag Inputs-Carstairs, 403-940-0472
• CASTOR – Thursday, Oct. 28 – Meadowland Ag Chem Ltd., 403-882-2490
• CLARESHOLM – Tuesday, Oct. 26, UFA Claresholm Farm Store, 403-625-3337
• DRUMHELLER – Friday, Oct. 29 – Kneehill Soil Services Ltd., 403-823-4600
• ENCHANT– Wednesday, Oct. 27 – Nutrien Ag Solutions-Enchant, 403-739-2012
• FOREMOST – Wednesday, Oct. 27, South Country Co-op, 403-867-3200
• HANNA – Monday, Oct. 25 – Fox Lake Agro Services Ltd., 403-854-2820
• HIGH RIVER – Monday, Oct. 25 – South Country Co-op, 403-652-4143
• HUSSAR – Monday, Oct. 25 – Richardson Pioneer-Hussar, 403-787-3931
• MAGRATH – Friday, Oct. 29 – Richardson Pioneer-Magrath, 403-758-3162
• MEDICINE HAT – Tuesday, Oct. 26 – Nutrien Ag Solutions-Medicine Hat, 403-526-9499
• MILK RIVER – Thursday, Oct. 28 – Parrish and Heimbecker, 403-647-3633
• OLDS – Thursday, Oct. 28 – Richardson Pioneer-Olds, 403-556-6606
• OYEN – Tuesday, Oct. 26 – UFA Oyen Farm Store, 403-664-3611
• RED DEER COUNTY – Wednesday, Oct. 27 – Central Alberta Coop Innisfail Agro, 403-227-3466
• TABER – Monday, Oct. 25 – Taber Home & Farm Centre, 403-223-8948
• THREE HILLS – Tuesday, Oct. 26 – Kneehill Soil Services Ltd. TH, 403-443-2355
• VETERAN – Wednesday, Oct. 27 – Richardson Pioneer, 403-575-4600

Events details can be found on Cleanfarms.ca under “what to recycle & where”. COVID precautions will be in place.

Materials accepted in the Cleanfarms program include:

• old or unwanted agricultural pesticides (identified with a Pest Control Product number on the label)
• commercial pesticides for golf courses and industrial and commercial pest control products (identified with a Pest Control Product number on the label)
• medications that are used in rearing animals in an agricultural context or for equine use (identified with a DIN number, serial number or Pest Control Product number on the label)

The program does NOT accept:

• only partially full and opened jugs of adjuvant and surfactant will be accepted
• fertilizer, diluted solution, large quantities of unopened product, and treated seed
• needles/sharps, medicated feed, aerosol containers, premises disinfectants/sanitizers, veterinary clinic waste and medications, ear tags, and aerosols
• any other household hazardous waste.

This program will return to southern Alberta in 2024. It will return to northern Alberta in 2022.

About Cleanfarms

Cleanfarms is a national not-for-profit organization that delivers industry-funded, end-of-life stewardship programs to the agricultural sector across Canada. It works collaboratively with more than 70 members in the pesticide, fertilizer, seed, ag plastic, and animal health medication sectors, as well as partner agencies, and governments to ensure that Canadian farmers can actively contribute to a healthy environment and a sustainable future.

Cleanfarms has over ten years’ experience identifying and helping to develop North American markets for agricultural plastics through the ongoing development and management of farmer-focused recycling programs. It has staff located in Lethbridge, Alberta; Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan; Etobicoke, Ontario; and St-Bruno, Quebec.

www.cleanfarms.ca

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Media Contact:
Barbara McConnell
media@cleanfarms.ca
P. 613-471-1816
M. 416-452-2373

Silage bale wrap used to store livestock feed will be part of a Cleanfarms pilot program to collect agricultural plastics for recycling in the Regional District of Fraser-Fort George. – Cleanfarms photo

McBride, BC (August 25,2021) – Farmers in the McBride area of British Columbia’s Regional District of Fraser-Fort George (RDFFG) who use twine, bale wrap, silage bags and bunker covers will be able to recycle these used plastic materials as part of a new pilot recycling project set to officially launch soon.

Plastic materials like baler twine and bale wrap are common agricultural tools but when farmers are finished with them, disposal can be a challenge. Usually, the used materials are either landfilled or stored on farms.

The three-year recycling pilot is being operated by Cleanfarms in partnership with the RDFFG at no cost to participating farmers.

“We estimate farmers in the RDFFG generate about 460 tonnes of these agricultural plastics annually,” said Cleanfarms Executive Director Barry Friesen. “This pilot will help local farmers to move those used materials off their farm properties when they are no longer wanted. Recycling used farm plastics helps keep farms clean and tidy and contributes to sustainable use of natural resources in Canada’s emerging circular economy.”

“The RDFFG has recognized agricultural plastics as an ongoing challenge in our solid waste system. We are eager to join Cleanfarms in this pilot recycling effort.  It is our goal to see an extended producer responsibility (EPR) stewardship program for agriculture plastics in BC and this pilot is a good first step,” says Lara Beckett, Vice Chair of the RDFFG.

Local farmers are encouraged to participate in the pilot by picking up large Cleanfarms collection bags at the McBride Transfer Station for each type of material they plan to recycle, and return them when full. Cleanfarms’ contractors will pick up the materials and transport them to recycling facilities in Canada and the USA where they will be processed for reuse in new products such as car parts and plastic bags.

The Cleanfarms recycling project in the RDFFG is one of three recycling projects taking place in British Columbia. The others are in the Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako and the Peace River Regional District. Each pilot is slightly different depending on the most prominent types of local farming. Cleanfarms’ overall goal is to expand pilots into permanent programs across the country to achieve zero ag plastic waste to landfill.

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

This pilot is funded in part by the Regional District of Fraser Fort-George and the Government of Canada, through Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Canadian Agriculture Strategic Priorities Program (CASPP). The federal government is investing $50.3 million over five years in a number of projects to help the agricultural sector adapt and remain competitive.

Learn more at Cleanfarms.ca/building-a-zero-plastic-waste-strategy-for-agriculture/

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

Materials included in the pilot

• Materials accepted include twine, bale wrap, silage bags and bunker covers.
• Materials not accepted are feed or seed bags, net wrap, nylon rope and sisal twine.

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 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 and also collects unwanted pesticides and old, obsolete livestock/equine medications for safe disposal in a program that rotates into regions of Canada every three years.

Containers of unwanted pesticides and old livestock and equine medications being returned at a Cleanfarms collection event. – Cleanfarms photo

(Etobicoke, Ontario) July 12, 2021 – Cleanfarms has named the locations of its next regional events to collect unwanted, old agricultural pesticides and obsolete livestock, equine and poultry medications so that farmers can dispose of these agricultural materials safely and in an environmentally responsible way.

In the fall, the Cleanfarms program will run more than 70 events in five regions:

• Northern Saskatchewan –October 4 – 8, at 20 locations
• British Columbia – Okanagan, Interior, Kootenay,
  October 12 – 22, at 11 locations
• Southern Alberta – October 25 – 29, at 20 locations
• New Brunswick – November 1 – 12, at 11 locations
• Nova Scotia – November 1 – 12, at 11 locations

“We run this program at no cost to farmers so they can remove unwanted, old and obsolete agricultural chemicals such as ag pesticides and ag animal medications from storage on their farms. The program is designed to help farmers keep their farms clean and sustainable. When they use our program, farmers have peace of mind that Cleanfarms will dispose of the materials safely,” said Cleanfarms Executive Director Barry Friesen.

The crop protection industry, in partnership with the Canadian Animal Health Institute (CAHI), covers the full cost of operating the program and disposing of the materials responsibly. All of it is managed safely through high temperature incineration.

“CAHI and its members are proud to support the Cleanfarms collections,” said CAHI President and CEO Dr. Catherine Filejski. “As a sector, the Canadian animal health industry is committed to innovative and sustainable practices, both within our supply chains and after products are sold to end-users.”

Since the collection and safe disposal of unwanted pesticides and old livestock/equine medication began, the program has safely disposed of 3.7 million kg of old pesticides and 47,800 kg of obsolete farm animal health medications.

Cleanfarms rotates the collection program so that events return to regions every three years, based on participant feedback. Collection events are scheduled at local agricultural retailers’ locations for ease of access. Information will be continuously updated on Cleanfarms’ website under “what to recycle & where”. COVID-19 precautions will be in place, as appropriate, based on regional public health requirements.

Materials accepted in the Cleanfarms program include:

• old or unwanted agricultural pesticides (identified with a Pest Control Product number on the label)
• commercial pesticides for golf courses and industrial and commercial pest control products (identified with a Pest Control Product number on the label)
• livestock/equine medications that are used on-farm for livestock, poultry or horses (identified with a DIN number, serial number, notification number or Pest Control Product number on the label).

The program does NOT accept:

• fertilizer, diluted solution, large quantities of unopened product, and treated seed
• needles or sharps, medicated feed, aerosol containers, premises disinfectants and sanitizers, veterinary clinic waste and medications, ear tags, or aerosols
• any other household hazardous waste.

Cleanfarms is a Canadian, non-profit stewardship organization funded by members in the crop protection, crop storage and animal health industries. It works with agricultural organizations, associations, agencies, governments and many partners to ensure that Canadian farmers have opportunities to manage agricultural waste responsibly. Cleanfarms delivers recycling and disposal solutions for non-organic waste generated on farms. In addition to the collection program for unwanted pesticides and old livestock/equine medications, Cleanfarms collects empty plastic agricultural pesticide and fertilizer containers, grain bags and twine for recycling. In eastern Canada, Cleanfarms collects seed bags and fertilizer bags (Quebec only) for responsible disposal. Cleanfarms has staff located in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan; Lethbridge, Alberta; Etobicoke, Ontario; and St-Bruno, Quebec.

Questions about which products are accepted in this collection program can be directed to 877-622-4460 or email Cleanfarms at info@cleanfarms.ca.

cleanfarms.ca

Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville, QC (June 21, 2021) – Over the past few months, the MRC (regional county municipalities) Haut-Saint-Laurent, in conjunction with Cleanfarms (Agrirecup in French), have been working to implement a pilot project to recover ag plastics in the region.  The MRC’s farmers are playing a leading role in the pilot, helping to implement a “zero ag-plastic waste” strategy in Quebec’s agricultural sector.

“The MRC Haut-Saint-Laurent is proud to help reduce the environmental footprint of farmers by developing, in conjunction with Cleanfarms, ecological solutions for the recovery of agricultural plastics, both here and elsewhere in Quebec,” said Louise Lebrun, Prefect of MRC Haut-Saint-Laurent.

Better manage on-farm plastics disposal

Operating a livestock farm involves growing and harvesting silage and hay for livestock feed. These forages are wrapped and stored, often for months, requiring the use of film, tarps and silo bags, twine and netting. All in all, this represents a significant amount of plastic, calculated in tonnes. Typically, used plastic ends up in landfills or is burned on the farm.

“The common thread linking farmers in the MRC Haut-Saint-Laurent to those already participating in similar pilot projects across the province is the management of these materials when they are no longer needed. Used ag plastics are difficult to process on the farm, but we know that farmers support finding solutions to manage them in an environmentally responsible manner,” said Cleanfarms’ Manager of Eastern Canada, Christine Lajeunesse. “The goal of our pilot projects is to work with MRCs and farmers to identify and develop effective systems to recover these materials for recycling. At the same time, this optimizes Quebec’s circular economy.’’

Recovery: a practice to be integrated

The pilot project offers farmers two management options to recover their ag plastics:

1. Collection bags

Farmers simply place each type of plastic separately in Cleanfarms collection bags which are available at participating collection sites.

2. Ag plastic press

This tool allows farmers to compress between 200 and 250 plastic film items such as bale wrap or tarps into bales. When compressed, the bales weigh roughly 450 kg.

Farmers who use the on-farm press report positive results noting that it makes it easier to handle the plastics. Also, the plastics stay cleaner and meet recyclers’ quality criteria. The press also saves time; for example, farmers make fewer trips to the collection sites.

With both methods, it is important that farmers not mix the types of plastic as this is a criterion for success in recycling.

Participating means doing your part!

In addition to MRC Haut-Saint-Laurent’s involvement, other stakeholders contribute to the pilot project. They are UPA of Haut-Saint-Laurent UPA, BMR Unbag in Sainte-Martine and the municipalities of Saint-Anicet and Hinchinbrooke, not to mention the participation of other municipalities in the MRC.

Interested farmers can return full collection bags or compressed bales to the following three collection sites as of June 15.

• SAINT-ANICET MUNICIPAL GARAGE
  5001 Route 132, Saint-Anicet
  Monday to Friday | 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
• UNIAG SAINTE-MARTINE
  195 Sainte-Marie Street, Sainte-Martine
  Monday to Friday | 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
• HINCHINBROOKE MUNICIPAL GARAGE
  315, route 202, Hinchinbrooke
  Occasional collections every second Wednesday of the month.

Note that the first collection will take place on Wednesday, July 14, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Cleanfarms collection bags to fill with ag plastics are available to farmers at Hinchinbrooke Town Hall and Garage, Elgin and Godmanchester Town Halls and Franklin Garage. 

About Cleanfarms

Cleanfarms is a non-profit organization dedicated to environmental responsibility through the sound management of agricultural inorganic waste. Ag plastics recovery programs are offered across Canada and emulated internationally.

The MRC Haut-Saint-Laurent ag-plastics recovery project is part of a series of pilot projects conducted by Cleanfarms with a view to implementing a permanent program throughout Quebec. Cleanfarms receives financial support from the MELCC for its projects.

Learn more at: cleanfarms.ca

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Source:

Christine Lajeunesse
Cleanfarms
Lajeunessec@agrirecup.ca
450-804-4460

Emilie Escafit
MRC Haut-Saint-Laurent
emilie.escafit@mrchsl.com
450-264-5411 ext. 225