A GREEN AG SOLUTION

BY BARRY

More than 140,000 horses, donkeys and mules populate Alberta’s equine landscape, and hay bales that have been secured with plastic baler twine are often used to bed and feed these animals throughout the year.

That adds up to a lot of baler twine. The amount used in the equine community counts toward the nearly 1,500 tonnes generated in Alberta annually making this province the highest generator of used baler twine in Canada. The next closest generator is Saskatchewan with about 1,300 tonnes. All other provinces account for numbers in the hundreds of tonnes.

For equine and livestock operations that means there are armloads of used twine to manage every day. Over a year, that can amount to a small mountain of tangled polypropylene plastic.

Plastic twine scattered throughout pastures, paddocks, stables or along fence lines is not only an untidy health and safety risk for animal welfare, but Alberta growers are concerned about its potential environmental impact.

Until recently, landfills have offered the most common disposal method. Some farmers may opt for a burn barrel, but burning twine releases toxins into the air.

Fortunately, there is now a solution that makes sense. Recycling it.

One organization, Cleanfarms, has prioritized mapping out ways to collect used plastic baler twine for recycling. Cleanfarms is a national, non-profit stewardship organization that contributes to a healthier environment and a sustainable future by recovering and recycling agricultural and related industry plastics, packaging and products. Along the way, recycling agricultural plastics creates new jobs and adds to local economies. Recycling ag plastic is now a part of the equation that helps farms, ranches, and equine operations reach sustainability goals.

Though twine is a relative newcomer to the list of ag plastics that Cleanfarms collects for recycling, programs capturing it are gaining momentum. Manitoba has a permanent program to recycle ag plastic twine and Cleanfarms is operating additional ‘proof of concept’ pilots in the Maritimes, Quebec, Saskatchewan and British Columbia. Because it leads in generation, the Alberta pilot is among the most important we are undertaking.

Cleanfarms operates the Alberta pilot on behalf of the Alberta Agricultural Plastics Recycling Group (APRG). Under the brand ‘Alberta Ag Plastic. Recycle it!’, Cleanfarms arranges for the collection of grain bags and twine and transports them to recycling facilities in Canada and the U.S. where the plastic is turned into pellets to be used to produce new materials. When recycled, polypropylene twine is made into car parts, dimensional lumber, flowerpots and composite decking. Down the road, as technology continues to evolve, twine may be remanufactured back into new baler twine, a process that would also fuel a regenerative economy.

At present, ag recycling is voluntary and, from the pilot experience so far, Alberta farmers and ranchers are keen to recycle as much of these materials as they can.

How to Prepare Twine for Recycling

Large collection bags are available free of charge at twine collection centres and select county / municipal district offices. Using the bags can make collecting and storing twine easier. There are three steps to prepare the twine for recycling.

1. Shake – Remove as much debris, snow and ice as possible. Excessive organics and other materials mixed with the twine will result in the material being sent to the landfill. Please include plastic twine only. (Net wrap or sisal twine are NOT accepted.)

2. Bag – Place loose twine in the collection bag. If using your own clear bag, poke holes in the bottom to drain moisture. Once full, close the bag with twine or a zip tie.

3. Return – Take full bags to your local pilot collection site. Contact the centre beforehand if unloading assistance is required or if unsure of the preparation requirements.

About Cleanfarms

Cleanfarms is funded by its members in the crop protection, fertilizer, seed, animal health medication, and ag plastics industries. It has staff located in Lethbridge, Alberta; Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan; Winnipeg, Manitoba; Etobicoke, Ontario; and St-Bruno, Quebec.