Media Release 6th May 2009

Agrecovery has recently launched a Silage Wrap Recycling programme in New Zealand in an effort to recover the estimated 4,000 tonnes of baled silage wrap used nationwide every year.


Agrecovery Foundation, a not-for-profit charitable trust which governs the Agrecovery rural recycling programme, has successfully operated a recycling programme for agrichemical and animal health plastic containers since April 2007.

“Adding silage wrap recovery is a natural progression for Agrecovery,” said Bruce Emerson, Director of 3R Group, Programme Managers for Agrecovery.  “Farmers have been actively encouraging us to provide a solution that was user friendly, cost efficient and accessible nationwide.”

Recent research has shown that an estimated 320,000 kilometres of wrap is used each year in New Zealand – enough to circle the world 8 times. Recent advances in processing heavily contaminated plastics means that the recycling industry now sees agricultural films as a useful and viable raw material and as such, it should no longer be viewed simply as farm waste to be burned and buried.

“It is widely acknowledged that wrap left lying around on-farm is a potential hazard and it contaminates water ways, stock and the general farm environment,” Mr Emerson said.

“For New Zealand to maintain its “clean-green” image, vital to our primary export sectors, we need to do more than we currently are to address the appropriate handling and disposal options of on-farm plastics.

The programme is a simple one, allowing farmers to purchase a packet of wrap recycling bags from most rural retailers or direct from Agrecovery (by phone or online).  Each packet of wrap bags contains 5 bags, enough to recycle approximately 60 wraps.

“There are no hidden costs. All costs, including collection, are contained within the bag price,” said Mr Emerson. “The bags are about the size of a household wheelie bin making it easy for individuals to handle without the need for machinery.”

“For about $1 per bale wrap farmers can protect their land and the environment.”

Hawke’s Bay sheep and cattle farmer Jim Spall has been farming for over 20 years and says that in the last decade, with baleage use becoming more widespread, the disposal of silage wrap has proved to be a persistent and increasingly pressing issue.

“It creates a mass of plastic, and it’s been hard to figure out what to do with it.

“The wrap recycling programme now means farmers have an environmentally-friendly option to get rid of this plastic.

“With Agrecovery providing such a simple, cost effective system for wrap, farmers have no excuses for burning or dumping it on farm.”

The Agrecovery programme has a strong governance structure with its trustees representing Fonterra, Federated Farmers, HortNZ, Environment Waikato (for local government) and Agcarm (NZ Association for Animal Health and Crop Protection). It was established by the primary sector to address “on-farm” waste issues.

The wrap programme joins the agrichemical container recycling programme which started in April 2007. These programmes will shortly be joined by a Chemical retraction programme which is planned to start in July 2009.

You can visit Agrecovery at the NZ National Agricultural Fieldays Premier Feature at Mystery Creek 10-13th June 2009 - site M30.

About Agrecovery

The Agrecovery Foundation is a not-for-profit charitable trust which owns and governs the Agrecovery programme. The programme was developed through funding by farmer and grower groups, local government, agrichemical industry and central government.

Every year, New Zealanders dispose of millions of plastic agrichemical and animal health containers, as well as over 4000 tonnes of silage wrap.  Agrecovery provides an environmentally sustainable solution for the recovery of on-farm plastic, including plastic containers and silage wrap.

All plastic containers collected are shredded, reprocessed and supplied to a New Zealand based approved processor to use as a raw material.  Silage wrap will also be processed in New Zealand.

For further information please contact the Agrecovery Programme Managers

Bruce Emerson
Director: 3R Group Ltd
0800 AGRECOVERY
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For more information visit www.agrecovery.co.nz