Rural recycling rockets into record figures says Agrecovery

Agrecovery in action, using a shipping container to recycle plastic. There are over 100 of these at sites nationwide. Photo / Supplied

Farmers and growers are achieving record-breaking volumes of recycling through the rural recycling programme, Agrecovery.

Over the past year 532 tonnes of plastic from used agrichemical containers was collected from Agrecovery's sites, events and via on-farm pick-ups.

This represents a 32 per cent increase and is "a massive leap from the 405 tonnes collected the previous year," Agrecovery chief executive Tony Wilson said.

"Like most consumers, farmers and growers are often left with plastic packaging and they don't want it to end up in landfill or release emissions by burning it. They are motivated to do the right thing – and the best thing is to turn it into a resource that doesn't get wasted," Wilson said.

The plastic is shredded, cleaned and broken down into a resin before being made into materials like cable cover and damp course – a building material to prevent rising damp.

These products were sold to locals, which was "a great example of a circular economy," Wilson said.

Agrecovery used fewer emissions because the whole recycling process was done in New Zealand, Wilson said.

Farmers were also asking Agrecovery to collect other soft plastics as well, such as LDPE bags.

Farmers recycling at an Agrecovery event. Photo / Supplied

"Our goal is to collect all types of farm plastics. Our High-density polyethylene (HDPE) recycling is well established and it's time to tackle other plastic types. We want to raise the game to achieve better environmental outcomes for rural communities by removing plastic from farms," Wilson said.

The Agrecovery Product Stewardship Scheme is focused on providing an easy and convenient scheme for farmers and growers that meets the needs of the Government and the brands that fund the programme.

Recycling containers at an Agrecovery site (left), plastic going through the shredder. Photo / Supplied

Providing farmers with alternatives to the harmful disposal practices of burning, burying and stock-piling of waste was vital for the future of New Zealand, Wilson said.

As a not-for-profit organisation, Agrecovery was ideally suited to provide solutions for our farmers and growers in their role as kaitiakitanga – being good stewards of the land, Wilson said.

"We are backed by industry, manufacturers, retailers, distributors and farmers and growers."

Agrecovery recycles more than half of the agrichemical containers and drum plastic sold in the New Zealand market.

Containers loaded onto the Agrecovery truck to be shredded (top left), plastic drums (bottom left) and containers going up the conveyor belt. Photo / Supplied

Those manufacturers who participate in the programme pay a voluntary levy to support the recycling of the containers and recovery of any end of life product – at no cost to the farmer.