It’s in the Bag - Agricultural Plastics Recycling Workshop

1. It’s in the Bag -Agricultural Plastics Recycling Workshop Alberta Updates

2. The Problem

8. Alberta Market Forecast 2008 • Polyethylene • Silage Cover, Silage Bag, Bale Wrap, Greenhouse Film • 4300 – 5200 tonnes • 9.5 million – 11.5 million pounds • Polypropylene • Twines, cordage, net wrap, feed bags • 3000 – 4000 tonnes • 6.5 million – 9 million pounds

9. Future Market • Volumes expected to increase • Grain bags • 40 – 50% more product baled in 2010 • May be trend away from net wrap back towards twine

10. Current Management • Landfill • More landfills banning material • Presents hazards to equipment • Open Burning • Presents significant air pollution issues • Bury on site • Recycling

11. Emissions • Ag plastics burn easily but incompletely • Resulting pollutants: • Heavy metals • Dioxins, furans • Carbon monoxide • Volatile organics • Pollutants risk to health and environment • Bioaccumulate through food intake • Inhalation of smoke

12. Potential Solutions

13. Stakeholder Committee Manufacturers Distributors and Retailers Waste Managers Recyclers Alberta Agriculture Alberta Environment Moose Jaw River Basin Watershed Group Alberta Plastics Recycling Association Recycling Council of Alberta

14. Conclusions • Plastics must be sorted at source by resin type • Contamination must be minimized • Handling at collection sites • Twine bagged • Film rolled or folded • Manual handling inefficient • Generators keen • Education key • Large site variability • Economic incentive required

15. Pockets of Recycling • Limited success • Market variability • Cost and capacity issues

16. Challenges for Recycling • Collection infrastructure • Material contamination • Processing capacity • Markets • Costs • Collection • Processing • Transportation

17. Communities Participating in Recycling 2010 • Mountain View • Olds • Rocky View • Drumheller • Some generators taking material directly to Crowfoot facility • Region may set up collection points • Other regions interested in recycling but not fully absorbing financial burden

24. Crowfoot Facility

25. Market Opportunities • Bridon Cordage expanding recycling program across U.S. • Pay 8 cents/ lb plus 7 cents/ lb freight • Trials from Lethbridge currently being planned

26. Conclusions • Plastics must be sorted at source by resin type • Contamination must be minimized • Handling at collection sites • Twine bagged • Film rolled or folded • Generators keen • Education key • Large site variability • Economic incentive required

27. Roles & Responsibilities • Industry • Supply materials of known resin types • Provide funding through stewardship program • Agricultural Community • sort plastic by resin type • keep material clean • deliver used plastics to collection sites • Collection facilities • Keep material clean and separated • Densify for transport • Recyclers • Remove residual contamination • Process for recycling

28. Recommendations Development of local / regional recycling capacity Introduction of an industry stewardship program

29. Thank You Christina Seidel Recycling Council of Alberta www.recycle.ab.ca