Farms.com Home   Ag Industry News

Alberta farm organization joins ag plastics recycling group

Alberta farm organization joins ag plastics recycling group

Alberta Beef Producers hopes to implementpass a recycling program during its next AGM

By Diego Flammini
News Reporter
Farms.com

A numer of Alberta organizations are working together on a program to properly recycle agricultural plastics.

Alberta Beef Producers (ABP) joined a number of other farm organizations, the Recycling Council of Alberta, and Alberta Environment and Parks to form the Ag Plastic Recycling Working Group.

And it appears farmers are in favour of an ag plastics recycling initiative.

This summer, 22 Alberta producers participated in a survey about plastic disposal. The majority (62 per cent ) of respondents said they burn their plastics and 95 per cent said plastic disposal is an issue.

There are three types of ag plastic, according to ABP.

1)  Twine – can be recycled back into twine

2)  Film plastic – can take many forms, including silage and grain bags

3)  Net wrap – can’t be recycled

ABP representatives are looking to Europe for examples of how to properly dispose of or reuse agricultural plastics.

Solway Recycling in the United Kingdom, for example, makes sheep pens and recycling bins from recycled agricultural plastics.

A recycling program could mean the plastic products cost up to 8 per cent more, Grinde says, but the extra cost is worth it when you consider the results.

“If there’s a recycling program in place when you buy (the plastics), there’s already a disposal mechanism in place for it … so you don’t have to worry about what you’re going to do with it,” Assar Grinde, chair of the recycling working group, told Okotoks Online on Monday “When you buy the product, you know that it’s going to be taken care of.”

A recycling strategy could also help strengthen the image of the industry among consumers, he added.


Trending Video

Dr. Emerson Nafziger: Nitrogen Fertilizer Rates for Corn

Video: Dr. Emerson Nafziger: Nitrogen Fertilizer Rates for Corn

The Crop Science Podcast Show, Dr. Emerson Nafziger from the University of Illinois breaks down decades of nitrogen research. From the evolution of N rate guidelines to how soil health and hybrid genetics influence nitrogen use efficiency, this conversation unpacks the science behind smarter fertilization. Improving how we set nitrogen fertilizer rates for rainfed corn is a key focus. Discover why the MRTN model matters more than ever, and how shifting mindsets and better data can boost yields and environmental outcomes. Tune in now on all major platforms!

"The nitrogen that comes from soil mineralization is the first nitrogen the plant sees, and its role is underestimated."

Meet the guest:

Dr. Emerson Nafziger is Professor Emeritus of Crop Sciences at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, with degrees in agronomy from Ohio State, Purdue, and Illinois. His research has focused on nitrogen rate strategies and crop productivity. He co-developed the Maximum Return to Nitrogen (MRTN) model, which is widely used across the Midwest. His research spans N response trials, hybrid interactions, crop rotation effects, and yield stability.