One of our duties and responsibilities as Recycling Ambassadors for Saskatchewan Waste Reduction Council (SWRC) was to travel around the province and spread the word about proper drop off for oil, antifreeze & diesel exhaust fluid containers. We have learned that a farm can produce dozens of these containers every year, as well as hundreds of other plastic containers, like pesticide and fertilizer jugs. We saw this first-hand when we joined Cleanfarms for two projects in June 2025: a Rinse Rate Study and a Seed, Pesticide & Inoculant (SPI) Bag Audit.
We had the opportunity to meet Cleanfarms Program Advisors, Tammy Shields and Serena Klippenstein in Naicam, SK, at Curtis Ltd. We split into two teams for efficiency and got to work. One team examined the SPI bags, and the other examined the rinse rate for chemical jugs. In the SPI bag audit, we sorted, counted, and weighed different materials – multi-layered paper bags, low density polyethylene (LDPE) bags, and polypropylene (PP) totes. When all was said and done, there were almost 1,000 bags. For the rinse rate study, we examined over 2,000 chemical jugs and divided them based on capacity, presence of a booklet, presence of a cap, and the rinsing method used to clean them out.
These projects helped us understand how well bags and containers are cleaned before disposal, how well recycling guidelines are understood and followed, and what happens to collected materials. The experience was very educational, and fun, as we worked together as a team. It was a great hands-on learning experience that left us with valuable insights and great memories.
Click here to see more...