MORE than 500 farmers have been signed up by a Tyrone firm set up to help try and solve the problem of the mountain of plastic waste on farms in Northern Ireland.
Earlier this year Simon Stringer, an expert in waste management, and Tyrone suckler cow farmer Adrian Cathers from Drumnakilly near Omagh joined together to organise a farm plastic re-cycling scheme to get rid of what Simon Stringer described as a "blight on the landscape".
Around 12,000 tonnes of plastic waste associated with silage wrap and sheeting is generated on farms here each year and under new European legislation passed earlier this year the waste can no longer be taken to a landfill site.
"We're currently handling 30 to 40 tonnes per month but with more and more farmers joining us we're expecting this to increase substantially in the coming months," said Adrian.
The company is at present organising a number of "drop off" locations throughout Northern Ireland which has been granted by the Environment Heritage Service to allow small farmers to also avail of the scheme.
"It will be like a central collection point," said Adrian, "and it will be financially beneficial to the farmer and ourselves to have these locations."
Farmers will be asked to sign up in advance of coming to the collection point, normally a merchant's yard at a given time.
Collection points have so far been set up at Gortavoy Feeds in Pomeroy, Matt Beattie and Sons, Newtownstewart, Irwins Feeds at Eglish, John Clarke at Riverside Farm, Gracehill, Ballymena and negotiations are taking place with various councils to be able to help farmers there too. Any other merchant interested in becoming a collection point should contact Agri- Cycle.
The company will be making a push to sign up even more farmers at the Winter Dairy Fair on the 15 December were Agri-Cycle will be having a prize draw.
Under European legislation, the UK earlier this year passed the responsibility to farmers for managing their waste. This is to ensure that the plastic waste is collected for recycling and not disposed of to landfill, buried or burned.
Adrian Cathers, with an eye to diversification, set up Agri-Cycle Services about four years ago to deliver various supplies to farmers. And through Agri-Cycle Services much of the plastic waste already collected has been re-cycled by an English company and turned into cow and horse mats, silo seals and hopefully in the New Year Adrian is planning to have plastic fence poles and other products. He said silo seal mats were being produced now as tyres, which were being currently used on silage pits, would be phased out over the next 18months.
"Our goal is to provide a total waste solution by collecting buckets and drums as well as waste plastic. Currently we collect silage pit covers, bale wrap, 2tonne pallet covers, half tonne fertiliser bags, hundred weight fertiliser bags and 25kilo meal bags"
Farmers are encouraged to provide clean plastic for collection to ensure the highest quality of the recycled end product and at the least possible cost to the farmer. They are also asked to keep the plastic away from overhead electricity wires on the day of collection.
For further information about farm plastic recycling telephone 028 9042 5272.
