The Mountain View County (MVC) agricultural service board has been asked to provide comment on the issue of agricultural plastics management in Alberta.
The request came from the Agriculture Plastics Recycling Group (APRG), an association of 15 stakeholder organizations in Alberta, including the Alberta Beef Producers, Alberta Agriculture and Forestry, and Alberta Barley.
The association will be advising the provincial government on ways to improve the recycling of agriculture plastics such as grain bags and twine.
It is calling for the creation of provincial legislation for agriculture plastic recycling.
The APRG released a whitepaper on the matter on April 27 and is asking agricultural service boards for comments.
“Agriculture plastics, in the form of baler twine, grain bags, bale wrap, silage plastic and feed bags of various sizes and materials are a problematic waste for agriculture producers and agricultural businesses and pose an environmental threat,” APRG said in the paper.
“Anecdotal evidence, as well as data from surveys, suggests plastics use is increasing with limited options for safe disposal.”
The recent Alberta agriculture waste characterization survey showed that the total film waste is estimated at between 3,300 and 6,400 tonnes per year in Alberta, and estimates of waste twine were 2,000 to 6,000 tonnes per year, the association said.
“These volumes represent a significant waste of resources, as well as pose a logistical waste management challenge. Landfills may prohibit or limit the disposal of some agricultural plastics, more specifically twine, because of the handling challenges it presents such as potential damage to equipment.”
A provincially regulated agriculture plastics recycling program could help address the concerns, the association says.
The association is calling for the creation of an advisory committee where producer groups and stakeholders would actively participate in the development of the program.
The Mountain View County agricultural service board (ASB) could provide comment on the whitepaper at its July meeting.
The ASB advises the county and province on agriculture-related issues and concerns. It is made up of county councillors and members of the public at large.
