3R provide practical and innovative advice and service solutions for industry and government to help meet growing demand for more sustainable business practices.
Agrecovery mandatory for NZ GAP accreditation
New Zealand GAP’s recently revised standards have tightened the requirements covering the disposal of empty plastic agrichemical containers. The New Zealand produce industry’s quality assurance programme now stipulates that growers “shall” use the Agrecovery Container programme to dispose of empty, waste or unwanted plastic containers belonging to participating brand owners.
Peter Ensor of Horticulture New Zealand says that the Agrecovery Container programme is supported by 49 of New Zealand’s leading agrichemical and animal health companies and the number of Agrecovery Container collection sites has increased to over 70, covering all major growing and farming areas.
“It’s free to use, has strong industry backing and wide spread accessibility, so it seemed appropriate that using Agrecovery to dispose of empty triple rinsed plastic containers become a mandatory requirement for New Zealand GAP.
“New Zealand GAP is recognised by all of New Zealand’s leading supermarkets and buyers, providing a traceable, accountable system from crop to customer for the production of fruit, vegetables, arable crops and olives.”
South Island vegetable growing business and New Zealand GAP approved supplier Wai-iti Fresh waited a long time for a programme like Agrecovery to solve their plastic disposal problems. On 240 hectares of land located about 20 minutes south of Rangiora, Wai-iti Fresh is a family business growing and supplying fresh vegetables to South Island wholesale customers, as well as lucerne and maize for dairy farmers, and seed for export. Wai-iti Fresh also runs some stock on the property.
Second-generation owner Emma McCracken says four years ago when she took over from her parents, who had been growing 35 years prior to that, disposing of used agrichemical plastic was a persistent problem. “Before Agrecovery, it was really tricky, and we were waiting for someone to do something about it,” says Emma. “Silage wrap was a particular problem for us.”
When Agrecovery started its Wrap programme, Wai-iti Fresh was one of the first to come on board and now uses the Agrecovery Container programme as well. “We signed up about a year ago as we had balage wrap that we wanted to get rid of and found out about the Container programme at the same time. We’ve now been using that to recycle our empty plastic containers.”
As an approved New Zealand GAP supplier, Emma says it’s important to focus on environmental sustainability and demonstrate that in practical ways such as using the Agrecovery programme. “It’s good that there’s now a place to dispose of these products. We also like the fact that it gets reused and made into other products right here in New Zealand.”
The Agrecovery Container collection site is close by at Hide’s Spraying in Rangiora and Emma says it’s made it very convenient to use the programme.
Founded in 1975, LeaderBrand is recognised as one of New Zealand’s largest and most diversified horticultural and fresh food businesses.
With farms located in Gisborne and Canterbury, LeaderBrand is the largest grower, packer, and shipper of buttercup squash (Kabocha) in the world, and the largest grower, packer, and shipper of broccoli, lettuce and fresh sweetcorn in New Zealand. They are also one of the largest growers of 'Gisborne Chardonnay' and Pinot Gris grapes.
“The highly discerning Japanese market is a large scale export customer and the protocols they require are applied to all LeaderBrand produce,” explains the company’s Annual Crop Manager Richard Burke (pictured).
“We’re certified with NZGAP and have a certified HACCP-based food safety programme. We also conduct regular random residue tests and only use certified non-GMO seed stocks.”
Customers can trace the origin of a delivery directly to the paddock it was grown in, and view online documentation relating to the planting, crop management and harvesting of the produce in that paddock, plus subsequent storage, packing and shipping to the customer.
“We grow over 3,000ha of fresh produce every year, so we’re probably the largest single user of agrichemicals in the country,” says Richard.
And when it comes to recycling their plastic containers, Richard supports Agrecovery all the way.
Agrecovery Rural Recycling and Westland Milk Products are working together to achieve the co-operative's aim of ensuring the West Coast leads the New Zealand dairy industry in sustainable rural recycling initiatives.
Chris Pullen, Environmental Manager for Westland Milk Products says “We want to ensure that the West Coast dairy industry is highly regarded for its contribution to environmental sustainability.
“With Agrecovery’s help we can promote international best practice and protect New Zealand’s reputation for sustainable agribusiness practice right here on the West Coast.”
The collection of unwanted agrichemicals this year is set to be stronger than 2010's record of nearly 10 tonnes collected through the nationwide Agrecovery Chemicals Programme.
Otago topped the seven regional collections in 2010 with 1921 kilograms collected.
According to Debbie Sherwood, coordinator for the Agrecovery Chemicals programme, booking volumes have been equally strong in 2011, showing chemicals are still a problem on many properties.
“We have completed three collections so far this year, with a record 2060 kg collected in Canterbury. Four other regional collections are in the planning stages, including the Otago/Southland collection where bookings close on 2nd September.”
National leaders in product stewardship development 3R Group has added another accolade to its impressive CV with a paint recycling programme under its management gaining Product Stewardship accreditation.
3R manages the PaintWise paint and packaging take-back scheme on behalf of Resene.
Resene PaintWise is one of six programmes to secure Ministry of Environment (MfE) accreditation to date.
3R Group Executive Director Graeme Norton said the company was thrilled the Resene PaintWise programme joins another programme the company has developed, Agrecovery Rural Recycling, in receiving accreditation.
