Canterbury to benefit from less plastic farm waste this summer

Canterbury farmers have made a small but significant dent in the burning and disposal of New Zealand’s 4000 annual tonnes of silage wrap used every year, and it is hoped recycling will increase through crop harvesting this summer. The achievement has been led by Agpac’s ‘Product Stewardship’ recycling campaign scheme; Plasback, and supported by a grant from Canterbury’s Sustainable Initiatives Fund (SIFT). As the season starts for wrapping silage it is hoped there will be less wrapping burnt or left lying around this summer. Canterbury has lagged behind other regions like Southland in disposal of silage wrap.

Chris Hartshorne, the Manager for the national Plasback Product Stewardship Scheme says in New Zealand there are now around 700 Plasback recycling bins for the collection of used plastic crop packaging products on farms. “Agpac believes in responsibly managing this waste, from the manufacturing to recovery. We’re pleased more Canterbury farmers are starting to take up recycling rather than burning them but more needs to be recycled.”

Olivia Day, General Manager of SIFT says being able to assist this recycling makes a real difference to the environment. “Baleage cover burning results in the release of toxic chemicals into the air and creates hard to degrade waste. SIFT, which provides funding to businesses to reduce waste, has been involved with Agpac since 2006. SIFT was pleased to provide a grant to help make the recycling machine in 2006, and the 2010 grant for Plasback advertising has really helped the campaign along. Agpac are leaders in what we call product stewardship; cradle to grave care of products.”

“There is a long way to go,” says Chris Hartshorne. “The Government aims to see national recycling of 2,400 tonnes of the estimated 7,000 tonnes of plastic waste from agriculture by July 2011 and ECAN now requires that any burning of farm plastics requires a Resource Consent. Now is the time for more farmers to alter their practices.” Plasback was accredited by the Minister for the Environment on 4 May 2010 under the Waste Minimisation Act.

SIFT, which is based in Canterbury, has lent money to Comspec to recycle plastic milk bottles, provided a grant to Lincoln University & Sandihurst Winery to assess the impact of crushed waste glass under grape vines, and has funded Terra Lana Products from 2006 to 2010 to purchase machinery that will use recycled wool for building insulation.

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