Cleanfarms edges jug collection rate to 77 per cent

Cleanfarms, the national stewardship organization that develops and operates programs to help producers manage on-farm agricultural waste materials just released the recovery rates for 2021 for ag packaging of various types that is collected for recycling or safe disposal.

The flagship program recovers empty plastic jugs 23L and smaller that deliver ag pesticides and fertilizers to producers. In 2021, farmers returned more than three quarters of the containers sold into the marketplace…more than 2.25 million kilograms, edging up the three-year rolling average recovery rate to 77 per cent.

The recycling recovery rate has soared since 2011 when it was 69 per cent. In 2019, it was 71 per cent and in 2020, it was 76 per cent, indicating that producers continue to look for ways they can manage on-farm waste materials in an environmentally appropriate manner.

The recovery rate measures the percentage of containers collected for recycling compared to the number of containers sold into the market in that year. The three-year rolling average recovery rate evens out the rate over three years taking into consideration factors that could cause variations such as differing needs due to weather.

“Empty plastic jugs aren’t the only ag containers producers are recycling,” said Cleanfarms executive director Barry Friesen. “They are bringing back several essential items used on farms for recycling – like empty non-deposit bulk drums and totes, too. This recycling program for bulk containers is newer, only a few years old. By returning them for recycling, farmers are ensuring the plastic in both smaller and larger containers is used to make new products in a circular economy. We are grateful that producers are responding to the programs in such a positive way.”