Cleanfarms can help you meet your obligations
First Sellers, businesses that sell or import grain bags into Saskatchewan, can meet their obligations under the regulations in two ways. First Sellers can:
- operate their own government approved program, or
- enter into an agreement with an organization like Cleanfarms that has developed an approved program to meet the requirements of the regulation.
Meeting your obligations by joining Cleanfarms is the most efficient way to meet these regulatory requirements.
- Are you a First Seller? – Review the FAQs on the right hand side.
- I’m a First Seller. What’s next? – Call us at 877-622-4460 ext. 2229.
First sellers that wish to meet their obligations through Cleanfarms must register and adhere to financial and administrative obligations. Please see our membership agreement.
How Cleanfarms’ Government-Approved Program Works
Cleanfarms operates the government-approved recycling program on behalf of first sellers.
- First Sellers must register with Cleanfarms to become a member and are required to finance the program costs.
- Similar to programs for electronics or oil, this program is funded by a non-refundable Environmental Handling Fee (EHF) which is $0.225/kilogram.
- The EHF is applied as a visible fee at the Point of Purchase starting November 1, 2018.
- First Sellers must add this EHF to grain bag purchases and remit the EHF to Cleanfarms.
Environmental Handling Fee (EHF)
The non-refundable EHF finances all costs associated with this recycling program in Saskatchewan.
To calculate the EHF, Cleanfarms has taken the total program costs and divided this by the estimated volume of grain bags sold into Saskatchewan. The EHF is therefore determined on a per kilogram basis and is $0.225 per kilogram. The EHF is subject to GST, but not PST.
Grain bags are sold in various sizes and weights. It is applied to each size category (e.g. 9 x 200) based on the average weight of the bags in that size category as shown below and in the printable fee schedule.
Key References
Grain Bag Members or Registered First Sellers
Cleanfarms is proud to work with the companies below to deliver Saskatchewan’s grain bag recycling program:
- Agri Novatex Canada Ltd. (formerly Committed Ag Supply)
- Amity Ag Solutions Inc.
- Berry Global
- Bridon USA
- Canadian Tarpaulin Manufacturers Ltd.
- FLAMAN Group of Companies
- Kingdom Advance Group
- Neeralta Manufacturing Inc.
- Peavey Industries LP
- Redhead Equipment
- RS Agri-Trade
- Tama Canada Ltd.
- Thunderstruck Ag Equipment
- Veikle Agro Inc.
- ViviGro Sustainable Solutions Ltd.
FAQs
What is a First Seller?
In the regulation, a “first seller” means a person who:
(a) is a manufacturer, distributor, owner or licensee of intellectual property rights of an agricultural packaging product that is sold, offered for sale or otherwise distributed into or in Saskatchewan;
(b) is a vendor of an agricultural packaging product outside of Saskatchewan and who, as an ordinary part of his or her business, sells agricultural packaging products to consumers in Saskatchewan;
(c) imports agricultural packaging products into Saskatchewan for resale in Saskatchewan; or
(d) purchases agricultural packaging products outside of Saskatchewan for use in Saskatchewan;
I’m still not sure if I’m a first seller. I buy bags from Company XYZ and resell them.
The company you are purchasing from may have already taken on the required obligations on your behalf.
Several of Saskatchewan’s leading companies have already signed up with Cleanfarms, and provided in-kind support throughout the development process:
- Agri Novatex Canada Ltd. (formerly Committed Ag Supply)
- Amity Ag Solutions Inc.
- Berry Global
- Bridon USA
- Canadian Tarpaulin Manufacturers Ltd.
- FLAMAN Group of Companies
- GBC Equipment
- IP Canada Packaging Group Ltd.
- Kingdom Advance Group
- Neeralta Manufacturing Inc.
- Peavey Industries LP
- Redhead Equipment
- RS Agri-Trade
- Tama Canada Ltd.
- Thunderstruck Ag Equipment
- Veikle Agro Inc.
- ViviGro Sustainable Solutions Ltd.
If you purchase your grain bags through the companies listed above, the registered member has taken on these responsibilities on your behalf.
How will a first seller remit this fee to Cleanfarms?
Reporting and remittance will take place quarterly.
- Rules related to reporting (2024)
Why is there an EHF on grain bags?
Grain bag recycling fees started November 1, 2018. The non-refundable EHF is part of a government regulated recycling program to fund the recycling of grain bags used in SK. The fee is applied when farmers purchase or import bags.
EHF Handling Fees 2024
| Size category (feet) | EHF |
|---|---|
| 8 x 150 | $17.00 |
| 8 x 200 | $23.00 |
| 8 x 250 | $29.00 |
| 9 x 150 | $20.00 |
| 9 x 200 | $27.00 |
| 9 x 250 | $33.00 |
| 9 x 300 | $40.00 |
| 9 x 330 | $44.00 |
| 10 x 150 | $23.00 |
| 10 x 200 | $30.00 |
| 10 x 250 | $38.00 |
| 10 x 300 | $45.00 |
| 10 x 330 | $50.00 |
| Size Category (feet), con’td | EHF, cont’d |
|---|---|
| 10 x 400 | $60.00 |
| 10 x 500 | $76.00 |
| 10.5 x 300 | $49.00 |
| 10.5 x 400 | $64.00 |
| 10.5 x 500 | $80.00 |
| 12 x 250 | $46.00 |
| 12 x 300 | $55.00 |
| 12 x 400 | $71.00 |
| 12 x 500 | $93.00 |
| 14 x 500 | $107.00 |
