A new project will support farmers by providing alternatives to the harmful disposal practices of burning, burying and stock-piling of waste. The Associate Minister for the Environment Eugenie Sage announced the launch of the New Zealand Rural Waste Minimisation Project at the South Island Agricultural Field Days in Kirwee today. Rural recycling programme Agrecovery will implement the Project by offering nationwide events for farmers to sustainably dispose of waste all in one go. This will clear agrichemical and motor oil containers, unwanted agrichemicals, used motor oil, fertiliser bags and silage wrap. “By providing a ‘one-stop-shop approach’, we will be removing barriers to recycling and encouraging our rural communities to participate in sustainable disposal practices for a variety of waste,” says ...
Making plastic waste useful again by collaborating with industry partners is the driving force behind a rural recycling programme’s success. In the last year, Agrecovery recovered and recycled 308 tonnes of plastic that might otherwise be burnt, buried or dumped – “that is enough solid plastic to fill a rugby field six feet high”, says the programme’s general manager, Simon Andrew. The plastic is repurposed into underground utility coverings and building materials right here in New Zealand. Astron Plastics in Auckland takes the shredded plastic from Agrecovery and makes it into useful products again. “It’s an example of how manufacturers, industry and consumers can work together to reduce the harmful impacts of plastic waste in our environment,” says Andrew. Since ...
The Agrecovery Foundation has issued its Annual Report for 2017-2018.
As New Zealand’s peak rural recycling programme, we are proud of the results we achieve by working with our partners. These collective efforts allow sustained growth in the recovery of agrichemicals and their packaging. Our results show continued success in supporting farmers and growers to clear more waste than ever before.
Adrienne Wilcock, Agrecovery Chair
ANNUAL REPORT 2017-18
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Farmlands in Westport is supporting the push to clear more rural waste and support sustainable farming by joining the list of Agrecovery container collection sites throughout the country. Local farmers can make the most of recycling agrichemical containers at the site. Empty triple-rinsed containers, up to 60 litres in size, from participating brand owners can be recycled there for free. The plastic is picked up, shredded and sent to Auckland to be reborn as underground cable cover or building materials to prevent rising damp. Farmers with larger drums (over 60 litres) or large quantities of containers can book on-farm collection directly through the Agrecovery recycling programme. Business manager of the branch Jack Cockfield says the store got on board with ...
As plastic waste hits the headlines again, rural recycling programme Agrecovery assures farmers and growers that it offers a complete and sustainable local solution for empty agrichemical containers and drums. This plastic is collected from over 80 sites and large-scale farms across the country and taken to Astron Plastics in Auckland, where it is reborn as underground cable cover and building materials to prevent rising damp. Agrecovery’s General Manager Simon Andrew says the organisation’s running an effective business model, because “it’s a closed-loop recycling solution. All the plastic is handled and repurposed as building and roading materials for New Zealanders.” “Our sustainable solution means we aren’t relying on other countries to take the plastic off our hands. We’re involved from the ...
Nearly four tonnes of unwanted agrichemicals, including DDT, lindane and arsenic-based pesticides were collected at a Marlborough chemical collection event in May. The good news is we’re recovering smaller quantities of legacy and banned chemicals from rural communities than in previous years. “More recent out-of-date chemicals are being recovered instead,” says Agrecovery General Manager, Simon Andrew. The majority collected at the event last month were fungicides from vineyards. “This shows that efforts by farmers, growers and recycling programmes are paying off,” he says. “Clearing old legacy chemicals ensures they don’t end up in landfills or being stored on farms and creating unnecessary risks for people, animals or the environment,” says Andrew. Marlborough District Council’s solid waste manager, Alec McNeil, says that New Zealand’s primary industries ...
South Canterbury farmers safely disposed of eight tonnes of waste at an inaugural one-stop recycling and recovery event in Geraldine on May 31, and are pushing for more action to sustainably clear waste from rural communities. In efforts to avoid harmful disposal practices such as burning, burying or storing, rural recycling programme Agrecovery partnered with Plasback to deliver these one-stop-shop recycling events. They are part of the New Zealand Rural Waste Minimisation Project led by Environment Canterbury, with support from the Ministry for the Environment – trialling new ways of supporting farmers and growers to recycle inorganic waste. More than fifty local farmers brought two tonnes of agrichemical containers and drums; one and a half tonnes of agrichemicals; three tonnes ...
Waikato farmers safely disposed of six tonnes of waste at an inaugural one-stop recycling and recovery event in Matamata on May 25, and are pushing for more action to sustainably clear waste from our rural communities. In efforts to avoid harmful disposal practices such as burning, burying or storing, rural recycling programme Agrecovery partnered with Plasback to deliver one-stop shop recycling events. They are part of the New Zealand Rural Waste Minimisation project led by Environment Canterbury, with support from the Ministry for the Environment – trialling new ways of supporting farmers and growers to recycle inorganic waste. More than fifty local farmers brought two tonnes of empty agrichemical containers and drums; over two tonnes of used motor oil and ...
Horticentre in Hastings is supporting the push to clear more rural waste and support sustainable farming by joining the list of Agrecovery container collection sites throughout the country. Local vineyards, stonefruit, kiwifruit and apple growers, as well as farmers, can make the most of recycling at the site. Empty triple-rinsed containers, up to 60 litres in size, from participating brand owners can be recycled there for free. Regional manager of Horticentre Hastings, James Cropper, says they joined the rural recycling programme to “offer an all-round service to clients”. “We’re all about providing solutions, and Agrecovery is a solution for our growers. So whether that means visiting clients or advising them on which product to buy – when it gets empty, ...
Rural recycling programme - Agrecovery demonstrates how industry and government can work together to reduce plastic waste and clear unwanted agrichemicals from our environment. At an industry event with Conservation and Associate Environment Minister, Eugenie Sage, the programme explains its success in clearing more waste from New Zealand farms.
Agrecovery has diverted over 2,000 tonnes of plastic from landfill or from harmful disposal practices like burning. As the programme gains force, recovery rates rise - with a 40 percent increase in the amount of plastic collected in the last year alone.
The not-for-profit’s sole focus is enabling New Zealand’s rural communities to have access to convenient recycling for repurposing plastic waste as well as the recovery of unwanted agrichemicals.
“We’re not making ...
