Supporting farmers to preserve the environment by providing alternatives to the harmful disposal practices of burning, burying and stockpiling of waste is vital for the future of New Zealand. Guidelines announced today by the Associate Minister for the Environment Eugenie Sage are a shot in the arm for rural recycling. The Minister launched a consultation, under the Waste Minimisation Act, which sees agrichemical containers and farm plastics become priority products. This means that manufacturers must take responsibility for any plastic packaging and unwanted product. Agrecovery, which runs such a scheme voluntarily, commends the government for ensuring that all product manufacturers participate in recycling and repurposing end-of-life product packaging. The focus needs to be on retaining convenient, reliable and cost-effective services ...
Each week, thousands of kiwi homes wheel or carry their rubbish to the kerbside for collection. For rural communities, managing refuse is not such an easy task. Generations of kiwi farmers have had to find their own ways of clearing non-natural waste. A 2013 study by Environment Canterbury claimed that farms were producing nearly 10 tonnes of waste a year. Empty containers and drums, silage wrap, fertiliser bags and motor oil are just some of the items left over from the business of farming. Finding an efficient and sustainable solution can be confusing and time-consuming for farmers and growers, especially with each waste stream having its own processes for recycling or safe disposal. To add to the challenge, the options ...
Our container programme provides a sustainable way to dispose of used agrichemical containers, which are then recycled into fully-compliant products right here in New Zealand. Long-time recycling partner, Astron Plastics in Auckland, converts all of our triple-rinsed containers into underground cable cover or building materials. The majority is made into covers for cables and pipes – for electricity and gas. The rest is made into damp course – used to prevent damp rising in buildings. Astron Plastics Manager Steve Mead says “there is ongoing demand for these finished products” and is enthusiastic about being associated with the Agrecovery programme because “it has really sound environmental credentials and benefits”. The plastic is collected from over 90 sites and large-scale farms across ...
Agrecovery Chair Adrienne Wilcock on the NZ Rural Waste Minimisation Project launch Good morning and welcome. It’s great to see you all here today. I’d especially like to welcome Minister Eugenie Sage, our Associate Minister for the Environment for attending and we will hear from her shortly. As we are all aware, plastic waste has become a huge issue – not just in New Zealand – but worldwide. After years of the perceived convenience of plastic packaging, we have finally woken up to the mess mankind is making and now we face the challenge of how to avoid, reduce or ethically dispose of it. We’ve seen single-use plastic bags banned from supermarkets and the banning of scrap plastic imports to ...
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 ...
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 ...
The New Zealand Rural Waste Minimisation Project finds new ways for rural communities to better manage on-farm waste like soft plastics, old chemicals and used oil.
Two pilot projects in Matamata and Geraldine provided a one-stop shop - tackling rural waste in an efficient, safe and managed way.
The project is based on collaboration between the rural community, regional and district councils, industry representatives, Ministry for the Environment and others.
Find out more about the ...
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, ...
