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 ...
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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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 ...
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 ...
Agrecovery Rural Recycling is offering rural kids the chance to show off their creative skills in a fun new video competition focussed on the environment.
Following Agrecovery’s ‘Farm for our Future’ philosophy, individuals or school groups under 18 years of age are challenged to create a 2-5-minute video that demonstrates what they and their families are doing on-property to improve their rural environment. Examples could include protecting natural areas, improving water quality or animal welfare, waste reduction or recycling; anything that brings environmental benefits.
Agrecovery General Manager Simon Andrew says the competition aims to highlight some of the great environmental work that is being done rurally, in a fun and informative way. “We’ve seen participation in Agrecovery grow dramatically over our ...
