Major producers join NZ silage wrap recovery program

More silage wrap is set to be recovered off New Zealand farms following the announcement that two leading producers have joined the Agrecovery Wrap Recycling program.

Donaghys and Integrated Packaging are backing the recycling program, which will provide an environmentally friendly disposal option for the estimated 4000 tonnes of silage wrap used nationwide every year. That’s an estimated 320,000 km of wrap, which is enough to circle the world eight times.

The signing of the brand owners coincides with the largest collection of wrap recycling bags Agrecovery has undertaken to date. Over a four-week period, Agrecovery expects to have collected nearly 1000 bags of used silage wrap from both the North and South Island. Since the start of the program, 10,000 bags have been sold.

Donaghys’ Business Manager - Feed Conservation, David Cassidy, said it made commercial and environmental sense to get in behind the Agrecovery Wrap recycling program.

“The program allows both Donaghys and the contractors and farmers that use our wrap products to make a difference to the environment and help stop the traditional disposal of wrap by either burning or burying.

“Our nationwide sales team have had training and can assist in educating contractors and farmers about Agrecovery Wrap and they play an important role in the uptake of the program,” David said.

Integrated Packaging National Sales Manager Gary Brown added: “We manufacture over 2500 tonnes of plastic wrap for the agriculture industry every year and we now have a solution to the age-old problem of getting rid of it [silage wrap].”

Bruce Emerson, Director of 3R Group, Program Managers for Agrecovery, said adding silage wrap recovery was a natural progression for Agrecovery, a program that also provides for recycling agrichemical containers and disposing of unwanted agrichemicals.

“Disposing of wrap has been a big waste issue for farmers who in recent years have been actively encouraging us to provide a solution that was user friendly, cost effective and accessible nationwide.

On-farm plastics pose a significant and growing problem for New Zealand farmers as the scrutiny of farming practices through compliance programs, as well as customer-driven environmental standards, places increased pressure on the primary sector to manage their environmental footprint in a positive way.

Recent advances in processing heavily contaminated plastics means that the recycling industry now sees agricultural films as a useful and viable raw material and, as such, it should no longer be viewed simply as farm waste to be burned and buried.

Emerson adds that wrap left lying around on-farm is a potential hazard and it contaminates waterways, stock and the general farm environment.

He adds that there have been several large contractors that have also got behind Agrecovery Wrap and are providing recycling bags and collection directly to farmers.

Farmers can purchase packets of wrap recycling bags from selected rural retailers, vet clinics and contractors or direct from Agrecovery. Each packet of wrap bags contains five bags, enough to recycle approximately 60 standard bale wraps. Once full, farmers should contact Agrecovery to arrange collection.

For more information on all Agrecovery programs, visit www.agrecovery.co.nz, freephone 0800 Agrecovery (0800 247 326) or email wrap@agrecovery.co.nz.