New Brunswick farmers are always working towards improving the sustainability of their farming operations.
This includes ensuring that the plastics used to store feed are properly managed at the end of their life cycle.
This project is a concrete first-step that has the potential to make a difference in and provide learnings for other areas. Starting small is important because it ensures that local challenges and opportunities are addresses.
A small number of farmers are testing compactors that allow them to efficiently store plastics on the farm.
The next steps include Cleanfarms sourcing end markets for collected materials, developing best practices and sharing results.
Please sign up for our newsletter to stay up to date on this project. For more information, please contact:
Lyndsay D’Entremont
Eastern Coordinator
613-704-7856
dentremontl@cleanfarms.ca
See what happened at the spring compactor demo to showcase compaction and baling
FAQs
What happens to the bale wrap & silage plastic that is collected?
Both bale wrap and silage plastic are transported to recycling facilities, where they are shredded, washed, and then converted into plastic pellets. The pellets are then used to manufacture new plastic products such as plastic bags, plastic dimensional lumber, or plastic agricultural fence posts.
See our “What Becomes What” Guide to learn more about how agricultural plastics are reincorporated into new products.
Why use a compactor?
Generally, plastics that are collected loose take up a large amount of space, are time consuming and difficult to handle with equipment, and they weigh very little, which is inefficient for transportation to a recycling facility.
Where can I find out more?
Please sign up for our newsletter to stay up to date on this project. For more information, please contact:
Lyndsay D’Entremont
Eastern Coordinator
613-704-7856
dentremontl@cleanfarms.ca
Project Highlights
- Small-scale pilot project underway in Valley Waters region of New Brunswick
- First project of its kind in the province
- About New Brunswick agriculture: ~165 dairy farms and ~480 Farms with beef cows, meaning lots of potential plastics to divert
- Goal is to test a simple way to keep farm plastics out of landfill with an easy-to-use on-farm compactor (compression method: concrete block)
- What’s being baled: bale wrap and silage plastic
- Why it matters: this will support farmer in their efforts to reduce waste while protecting the environment
Compaction Demo
