Rural recycling programme shredding tonnes of unwanted farm plastic receives funding boost

March 31, 2019

Agrecovery’s mobile truck gives farmers an alternative to burning or burying their rubbish.

The way farmers and growers dispose of their waste products is being given a financial boost.

The Government is investing in a rural recycling programme to help farmers dispose of tonnes of problematic plastics each year.

One farmer who welcomes the move is Methven man Hamish Marr.

"It's a real problem. It's like the plastic in the supermarket – it's all and well getting the stuff, but what do you do with the container at the end of it?"

He recycles the plastic at his local plant, but it wasn't always the case, he says.

"Back in my father's day, a good hot fire or, dare I say it, dig a hole," he explained.

One company helping create change is Agrecovery, which collects unwanted and hard to dispose of chemicals and containers from rural areas, which is then shredded by a mobile truck and re-purposed into construction materials.

Agrecovery general manager Simon Andrew said the demand for their services is "increasing rapidly".

"Farmers and growers certainly want to do the right thing," he said.

Recent studies by Environment Canterbury show farms average around 10 tonnes of non-natural waste per year, though most admit to disposing of it improperly.

Associate Environment Minister Eugenie Sage called Agrecovery's recovery and reprocessing process "a real strength".

"If you are burying chemicals, they leach, they pollute the aquifer. Burning things creates health hazards so this collection system and then reprocessing the containers is a real strength," Ms Sage said.

Now, Agrecovery has been given over $300,000 of funding from the Government to find a solution.

One of the biggest barriers for farmers to recycle their waste is accessing the right facilities, so the funding will go towards setting up events around the country to get rid of their stockpiled waste, they said.

However, Agrecovery says they can't tackle the problem alone.

"The concept of product stewardship is a sound one, whereby the manufacturers of these products pay a levy supporting these programmes which enable consumers of these products to engage in recycling services free of charge," Mr Andrew said.

Farmers say attitudes in the industry are changing.

"This land isn't ours - we have just borrowed it for a wee while. We've got to look after it and this stuff - it's just litter. Let's just get rid of it," Mr Marr said.

Agrecovery's roadshows will start in September.

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