Regional District Okanagan-Similkameen Press Release
August 15, 2007
Late last year the Regional District Okanagan-Similkameen (RDOS) launched its Agricultural Plastic Recycling Program, a new major initiative in BC. Plastics have made our lives easier, however with that ease came the complication of how to dispose of them. Plastic items ranging from ground crop and greenhouse plastic to irrigation plastics and baler twine don’t belong in a landfill and can’t be burned.
The agriculture plastic recycling pilot program, funded through the Agriculture Environment Partnership Initiative, an Agri-Food Futures Fund program managed by the British Columbia Agriculture Council, with additional funding support from the RDOS and Ministries of Environment and Agriculture and Lands, was set up to find convenient, efficient means of collecting the various types of plastic. It also set out to identify partner(s) in the Plastics Processing Sector, to develop methods for recycling; and to make sure that there are adequate volumes collected to sustain market viability.
The program started by giving special collection bags – accompanied by information sheets - in the RDOS area. Once the bags were filled, they were delivered to landfills with no tipping fees.
The staff and volunteers working with the project have been pleased with the willingness of all seven landfills in the RDOS area to jump on board and participate. As the project gathered momentum the pilot program was extended to December of 2007 in order to complete the trials. Once all the data is collected all regional districts and municipalities will receive a copy of the final report.
The trials are the main component of this pilot project, as they help determine the resin type, the processing methods and where to find suitable markets for the processed waste plastic. Cost effective transportation is also a component of the pilot. One of the struggles faced during this pilot has been to find suitable markets for the recycled plastics and when those markets aren’t available, to develop new markets and strategies. Although many are willing to accept the recycled plastic, there still needs to be a place to accumulate enough volumes to send it for the actual processing for recycling.
Some of the trials conducted included silage bags which are a low-density polyethylene, similar to greenhouse film. This type of plastic is very suitable for recycling provided the bottoms of the bags aren’t dirty. To overcome this problem, bottoms can be cut off to minimize contamination. They are then recycled into items like multi layer coex film and drainage pipes. Users of the waste agricultural such as the silage bags are asked to bag or tie into bundles using the same type of plastic or twine.
Another successful trial was with bail twine which is a polypropylene. The twine must be clean and fairly free of hay/straw or manure in order to process it into a secondary recycled product. The processor cuts twine into small pieces and have the contaminants blown off or, a more effective method is to use a densifier, which cuts, shreds and melts the twine. In order to keep contamination levels low there is an easy method to keep twine clean that won’t break apart the bale. Simply hold the knot and cut the twine close to it. Still holding the knot, pull the twine through the bale and clean off any hay or debris; then place into clean, dry bags for delivery to collection site.
Originally this product was shipped to the USA; however, the RDOS pilot program has provided the opportunity to process it right here in BC, providing contamination levels stay low. The recycled twine can be made into #5 grower and flowerpots and wood composite material.
Those living in the RDOS area are using recycled super sac bags to sort and collect their waste agricultural plastics. Empty bags are provided free and are picked up at any RDOS or municipal landfill or at Terra Link South Valley Sales in Oliver and Keremeos.
Agriculturists can tie their clean and sorted film plastics into bundles with twine or with a strip of the same plastic.
The launch of this program and sharing of information gathered to date has helped with a twine and film plastic collection pilot program on Vancouver Island. The continued work conducted by the RDOS pilot trials are making recycling of these waste plastics possible. The RDOS plans to make the templates from their collection program and trials available to all BC municipalities and Regional Districts so they can incorporate a similar model for their area.
For more information contact RDOS Air Quality: 490-4212, or toll free at 1-877-610-3737
D. Ashton RDOS Board Chair
