Developing an ag plastics recycling roadmap
Cleanfarms is conducting consultations at the request of Manitoba Conservation and Climate, to help the province evaluate transitioning the government-funded ag plastics pilot projects into a permanent, industry-funded stewardship program.
The latest version Manitoba Ag Plastic Plan (MAPP) is available for viewing.
We invite stakeholders to review the draft plan (version 02).
This plan was developed based on data collected through multi-year, government-funded pilot projects that took place in Manitoba and best practices in agricultural plastics recycling. The plan also prioritizes harmonization with initiatives underway across the Prairies.
A draft of the plan (version 01) was made available for comment in late 2020. Cleanfarms engaged with producer groups, industry and municipal associations to get feedback on the plan. Individual producers and Manitobans are welcome to provide feedback as well.
Version 02 was submitted to Manitoba Conservation and Climate at the end of January 2021.
Summary of the MAPP recommendations
The MAPP recommends:
- A phased-in approach to a permanent, industry-funded stewardship program targeting ag-plastics that can be recycled at this time. This means that the permanent, industry-funded program will allow farmers to recycle grain bags and twine during Phase 1.
- Phase 1 excludes materials like silage/bale film and netting because recycling markets are not currently available for them.
- Approval of MAPP in March 2021 to allow sufficient transition time.
- Launch of the Environmental Handling Fee associated with MAPP in December 2021.
For more information, please visit the MAPP or email Kim Timmer.
MAPP Consultation
The government-funded agricultural plastics recycling pilots have been in place since 2013. In 2018 the Manitoba government asked Cleanfarms to develop a plan to transition the pilots. The following is a summary of the work completed since then and plans for early 2021.
2018 – 2019 – Completed
- Preliminary discussions with producer groups (late 2018) to inform stakeholders about learnings from the pilot projects, key challenges faced (limited recycling markets) and the benefits and financial implications of a permanent, industry-funded stewardship program
- Completed an ag waste study to estimate the volume of ag plastics used on Manitoba farms. This data is used to estimate program costs and establish targets
- Fielded a producer survey (2019); producers weighed in on key aspects of the program and provided input to help assess existing pilot projects
- Pilot projects continued throughout the province (2018-2019) with a focus on increasing producer accessibility to collection sites (which is key to participation) and to continue to evaluate the availability of recycling markets. Manitoba farmers turned in 51 tonnes of ag plastics in 2019, surpassing the 34 tonnes that was collected in 2018
Fall/winter 2020
- Pilot projects continue
- Development of The Manitoba Ag Plastic Plan (MAPP)
- Consultations on MAPP, delayed due to COVID-19, restarted in the fall of 2020
- Consultations took place online/remotely and focused on engaging producer groups, collection sites, municipalities and key government officials
Winter 2021
- Consultations with key stakeholders continued until mid-January
- Stakeholder feedback was incorporated into version 02 of the MAPP which was submitted to Manitoba Conservation and Climate Change on January 29, 2021
- Government-led consultations are expected to take place through Engage MB.
- Plans to transition existing collection sites to the MAPP collection criteria (targets grain bags and twine for collection only) begin
Spring 2021 & beyond
Once Cleanfarms receives approval of the MAPP, the transition process will proceed. This will include:
- steward education, outreach and onboarding
- promotion and education to producers/farmers
- collection site recruitment & signing of agreements
- further roll out of MAPP
For more information:
Please email timmerk@cleanfarms.ca
FAQs
What is an ag waste study and why is it included in this process?
There’s an old adage in waste management, that you can’t manage what you can’t measure, and ag waste studies provide just the information that’s needed for effective program development and management. They are desktop studies used to estimate waste composition and generation, typically based on:
- Units of production – e.g. head of cattle, acres per crop, which are available through Statistics Canada and other sources, and
- Waste generated per unit of production – taken from various farm level activities waste and reviewing how these inputs are packaged.
In Manitoba, insights provided from studies completed in province in 2011 (prior to the launch of the pilot programs and 2019 have provided valuable inputs to considerations for program development.
Why are pilots and other studies necessary to develop the plan?
Pilots are critical to effective program planning as they permit farmers, collection sites and program designers time to test different approaches and to seek cost-effective mechanisms for delivery. In this case, it’s become clear that Manitoba producers use a wide variety of ag plastics and in relatively small quantities compared to other Prairie provinces. Multi-year pilots that have scaled up, an ag waste study and additional work will allow program designers to develop a robust and thoughtful path forward for the province.
What is the next step in consultation for the MAPP?
Government-led consultations are expected to take place through Engage MB in Winter, 2021.
What is the cost to Manitoba producers?
MAPP will be fully financed through an Environmental Handling Fee (EHF) collected and remitted to Cleanfarms by companies that supply producers with grain bags and twine. Preliminary estimates are in the $250/tonne range for grain bags and $330/tonne range for twine.
