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Ag plastic pilot recycling project gets off to rapid start Monday, June 16, 2008
Agri News staff writer
SAUK CENTRE, Minn. -- More than 75,000 pounds of ag plastic was collected during the first 15 days of an ag plastic recycling pilot project in Sauk Centre in May.
Bueckers City Sanitation is the collection site during the pilot project's May to August run, said company operations manager Missy Bueckers. Stearns, Benton, Douglas, Kandiyohi, Todd, Morrison and Sherburne county farmers are taking part in the pilot project.
Farmers can recycle silage and haylage bags, bunker silo covers, bale wrap, plastic tanks and barrels. They can contact garbage haulers to pick up the waste plastic or haul it to Sauk Centre themselves. The material can be dropped off for free during the pilot project, said Dave Weinand of the Minnesota Department of Agriculture's ag marketing services.
The MDA and Minnesota Pollution Control Agency are funding the project, Weinand said. The agencies and firms involved in recycling and processing will evaluate the program and possibly expand it to other areas. The Minnesota Dairy Profitability Advisory Committee recommended the pilot project last year
"Its been known for several years that these plastics needed to somehow be recycled," said Curt Zimmerman, MDA livestock development specialist. "Launching a pilot project will help us develop some best management practices for expanding to other areas in the state. If we see that the project is successful in Stearns County and the surrounding area, we can help farmers statewide cut their disposal costs and reduce the amount of this plastic in the environment."
Bueckers collects the ag plastic and "bales" it into 2,000 pound squares. AGSI Recycling in Savage hauls the bales to its processing plant where the plastic is washed, shredded, pelleted and processed to plastic timber. The final material is used in decks, docks and telephone poles.
Dan Nissen bales the plastics three days a week. Nissen and the MDA suggest farmers shake dirt and debris from the plastic and roll dry film into bundles. The ag plastics should be stored under cover before recycling to ensure the highest volume and quality.
Bueckers saw farmers' need for proper ag plastic disposal and started their own recycling program two years ago. They sent ag plastics to plastics manufacturers, but few were processing the recycled material. The program was halted after 45 days. It was costly to haul, clean and process the plastic, Bueckers said.
She's pleased at MDA's efforts.
"Farmers have needed an outlet for it for some time," she said. "It's nice to see the department of ag get involved. We want to help our farmers, but it's hard when we are just one entity doing it. With this pilot project, more people are involved and it helps all parts of the program from the collection to the recycling and processing."
Freeport dairy farmer Lloyd Blommel brought his ag plastics to Bueckers when the company ran its own collections and is participating in the pilot project. He brought in a livestock trailer and pick-up bed filled with ag plastics during one day of the May collection.
"I really like this program," he said. "Without this, we really have no way to dispose of it. These loads represent three months of ag plastics on my farm."
Bueckers was contacted by a farmer who has stored ag plastics in an old barn during the last five years. Some farmers roll the plastics in bundles and put it in garbage cans for rural disposal pickups, she said. It can add 150 to 200 pounds to their garbage collection. Some farmers have called the company after they've been caught burning the ag plastics.
Savage-based AGSI has recycled horticulture plastics and worked with plastics recycling in Wisconsin. The pilot project is an important step for Minnesota.
"We don't seem to consider recycling things until they become a problem," Bueckers said. "Take TVs for an example. Everyone has at least one to get rid of. Some states now require the TV and computer companies to accept the used machines and recycle the materials. We're seeing that now in ag plastics. We have so much of it." |
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