Recycling baler twine, bale wrap, silage bags, and bunker covers in Bruce County

Ontario Pilot Program: Recycling baler twine, bale wrap, silage bags, and bunker covers in Bruce County

Building a Zero-Plastic-Waste Strategy for Agriculture

Funding for this pilot project ended on March 31, 2024, however, some collection sites are continuing to accept bale wrap. Please contact the Eastern Program Coordinator, Lyndsay D’Entremont, for information about bale wrap recycling options.

Baler twine, silage bags, bunker covers, and bale wrap are valuable tools used to contain and store feed and many Ontario farmers are interested in finding ways to recycle these items.

Municipalities are also keen to explore ways to divert these plastics to help contribute to a more circular economy and conserve landfill space. Cleanfarms is working in Bruce County to test recycling options for these ag plastics.

Note to farmers that use more than 1 tonne of bale wrap or silage covers per year: We would like to speak with you about alternate collection models. Please contact Kim Timmer.

Keep it clean
Shake or sweep away debris Remove pieces that are too dirty Bag material types separately Secure bags and rolls with twine Store away from mud and water

Not Accepted
Net wrap Mixed materials in one bag Nylon rope Sisal or fibrous twine Loose drop-offs Excessive hay, silage, dirt and other debris

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For more information about this program please contact:

Kim Timmer,
Director, Stakeholder Relations and Policy
416-646-1258 | timmerk@cleanfarms.ca

Materials On the Farm

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Materials Prepared for Collection

There are two ways to participate in this collection program

Bag Collection: Twine, bale wrap and silage bags/covers

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

Pick up a collection bag from participating Bruce County collection sites.
Shake or sweep out your material, removing as much debris, dirt or ice/snow as possible.
Place each material in a separate collection bag. Secure a full bag closed with twine or a zip tie.
- Twine can be placed loose in a bag.
- Bale wrap can be rolled up and placed in a bag.
- Pieces of silage bags/covers can be placed in a bag.
Return bags of material to your local collection site. Don’t forget to take another bag home with you!

On-farm compactor: Bale wrap and silage bags/covers

Compactors are especially useful for farmers that are using large volumes of ag film plastics. Contact Kim Timmer to express your interest in trailing a compactor.

timmerk@cleanfarms.ca | 416-646-1258

How to use a manual compactor

A variety of compactor styles are currently being trialed in Bruce County. Contact the project coordinator to learn more.

The following videos demonstrate the different compactor styles and show how compactors can help compress ag plastics, reduce contamination and facilitate transportation to collection sites.

Cement block press (French only)
Full Circle Plastics press (English version)

How to prepare bale wrap and silage bags/bunk covers for compacting

Follow these best practices for making a dense bale that is ready to recycle. Remember to keep your bale wrap separate from your silage bag/bunker cover plastic.

Silage Plastic

Follow these 4 steps to prepare your used silage plastic for compression/baling:

Shake – Remove debris; to prevent damage to the recyclers shredding and wash systems, silage plastic needs to be free from spoilage, large pieces of dirt/rocks, or other debris. Shake the plastic as you lay it flat.
Fold into 4’ lengths – To ensure a dense bale of plastic, lumps/gap/voids need to be avoided when loading the compactor. Fold the flat sheet of plastic into lengths that are roughly 4′ wide.
Fold into 4’ squares– Fold the 4’ lengths into 4’ squares to fill the base of the compactor evenly.
Return – Bring the folded sheets to one of the collection sites and lay them flat in a manual compactor (transfer station attendants will be onsite to assist and provide direction).

Bale Wrap

Follow these 4 steps to prepare your used bale wrap for compression/baling:

Cut – If needed, cut the bale wrap into manageable pieces (especially if using continuous wrapped bales).
Shake – Remove debris; to prevent damage to the recyclers shredding and wash systems, bale wrap needs to be free from spoilage, large pieces of dirt/rocks, or other debris. Shake the plastic to remove large pieces of debris.
Fold – It is not necessary, but for ease of transport and loading into a manual compactor, you may want to fold the plastic into manageable 4′ square pieces, similar to the preparation of silage plastic.
Return – Bring your loose or folded bale wrap to one of the collection sites and try to lay the pieces evenly across the base of a manual compactor (transfer station attendants will be onsite to assist and provide direction). By spreading the plastic more evenly across the base of the compactor, you will help to ensure a dense bale of plastic, which improves recyclability.

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.