Experience gained from the Quebec pilots that took place early on in this project have helped to establish a strong foundation for other pilots across the country.

As collections in Quebec continue to evolve, please refer to Pilot Project for the Recovery and Recycling of Agricultural Plastics in Quebec for ongoing program and pilot updates.

Past contributions

Quebec farmers have been keen to explore ways to recycle or manage items like baler twine, silage bags, bunker covers, and bale wrap. Recycling ag plastics not only improves environmental stewardship on the farm, but it also helps municipal regions conserve landfill space and benefits all Quebecers by contributing to a more circular economy.

In 2020, a number of different collection models were being tested in Quebec. Some farmers were equipped with on-farm presses to compress ag-plastics, while others were testing a model where centralized presses and collection points. The variety of different sized farms in Quebec allowed Cleanfarms to test out logistics and operations and explore scalability early on in the project cycle. Learnings from these pilots are applied to regions and farms across Eastern Canada.

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.