County of Two Hills to Participate in Cleanfarms Agri Plastics Program

County of Two Hills to Participate in Cleanfarms Agri Plastics Program

Michelle Pinon - News Advertiser

Recycling of commonly used agricultural waste products is what Cleanfarms specializes in, and the non-profit environmental stewardship organization has selected the County of Two Hills to participate in its grain bag recycling program.

County of Two Hills Agricultural Fieldman Elden Kozak recently made a presentation to council on behalf of the Agricultural Service Board, (ASB) because members had expressed an interest in exploring the possibility of the landfill being used as a plastics recycling site.

On March 4 members of the ASB unanimously voted in favour of going ahead with the program and received official confirmation days ago.

Kozak said they will receive $55 per tonne for rolled grain bags. He estimates there are between 150-200 grain bags currently in the landfill and is asking producers to roll their bags prior to arriving at the landfill. “We are responsible for ensuring the plastic is clean and stored in a fairly decent manner.”

Kozak said all they will have to do is construct a loading ramp and create a storage area for the grain bags.

According to the Cleanfarms website, “Cleanfarms is a non-profit environmental stewardship organization. We work collaboratively with our members, partner agencies, and the government to ensure that Canadian farmers can actively contribute to a healthy environment and a sustainable future.

We play an important role in protecting the environment by keeping recyclable materials out of landfills and burn piles. To help farmers better manage their waste, Cleanfarms partners with agri-retailers and municipalities across the country to make our programs available to farmers in every region.”

Last year alone, more than 5.2 million empty pesticide and fertilizer containers were collected through a Cleanfarms program, and nearly 300,000 empty seed and pesticide bags returned.”

Cleanfarms, under a contract with the Alberta Plastic Recycling Group is operating a three-year pilot program to collect agricultural grain bags and twine for recycling and currently has 25 collection sites including the County of Minburn, County of Vermilion River, and Beaver County.