Managing Agricultural Plastics Waste through a Regulatory Approach

Sep 30, 2025

The Government of Alberta is gathering input on a regulatory approach for collecting and recycling agricultural plastics waste.

The Government of Alberta has heard from some members of the agricultural sector that the management of agricultural plastics waste is important to maintain or enhance public trust and market access.

Agricultural plastic products include, but are not limited to:

crop input packaging such as pesticide and fertilizer containers, drums, totes, and seed and inoculant bags, and
plastics to store agricultural outputs such as grain bags, twine, bale, wrap, net wrap and silage plastics.

While agricultural plastics waste recycling opportunities are currently in place for select products, they are voluntary or temporary pilot project approaches. Shifting to a regulatory approach would provide long-term certainty for material management, a level playing field for plastic producers, and economies of scale to better support processing facilities.

Regulatory approaches require government agencies to restrict or direct the activities of regulated parties using terms and conditions within statutory and regulatory instruments, operating permits, licences, approvals or codes of practice.

In Alberta, there are currently two regulatory approaches for the end-of-life management of waste materials that can be recycled - extended producer responsibility (EPR) and stewardship. Either of these approaches could be considered for managing agricultural plastics waste or another regulatory approach could be developed.

Under EPR, material producers are responsible for operating and funding systems to collect, process and recycle the materials they supply into Alberta when those products are no longer needed. These costs can be passed through to the consumers of those products. Currently, single-use products, packaging and printed paper products as well as hazardous and special products are managed under the EPR Regulation. Additional materials could be included by amending the regulation.

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Video: Winter Canola Trial in Mississippi | Can It Work for Double Cropping? | Pioneer Agronomy

Can winter canola open new opportunities for growers in the Mid-South? In this agronomy update from Noxubee County, Mississippi, Pioneer agronomist Gus Eifling shares an early look at a first-year winter canola trial and what farmers are learning from the field.

Planted in late October on 30-inch rows, the crop is now entering the bloom stage and progressing quickly. In this video, we walk through current field conditions, fertility management, and how timing could make this crop a valuable option for double-cropping soybeans or cotton.

If harvest timing lines up with early May, growers may be able to transition directly into another crop during ideal planting windows. Ongoing field trials will help determine whether canola could become a viable rotational option for the region.

Watch for:

How winter canola is performing in its first season in this Mississippi field

Why growers chose 30-inch rows for this trial

What the crop looks like as it moves from bolting into bloom

Fertility strategy, including nitrogen and sulfur applications

How canola harvest timing could enable double-cropping with soybeans or cotton

Upcoming trials comparing soybeans after canola vs. traditional planting

As more growers look for ways to maximize acres and diversify rotations, experiments like this help determine what new crops might fit into existing systems.