Every year, Irish farmers make available 30,000t of farm plastics waste for recycling through participation with IFFPG, the national farm plastics recycling scheme.

In doing so they ensure that both our rural environment is protected and that a valuable plastic resource is sustainably managed.

Ireland has one of the best records in Europe when it comes to farm plastics recycling, with a recycling rate in excess of 70% consistently achieved. Over 90% of farm plastics waste collected by IFFPG is collected at its bring centre network, with the remainder collected at the farmyard.

235 bring centres

IFFPG operates approximately 235 bring centres each year during the period April to July, at which the full range of farm plastic wastes are collected for recycling.

These bring-centres are one to two-day events and are typically held at locations that farmers are familiar with, such as livestock marts, co-ops and GAA fields.

IFFPG heavily promotes its bring centre network through a range of print and digital media, as well as through text messaging.

At bring centres the full range of farm plastics waste is accepted. Silage wrap and sheeting waste, which comprises 95% of all collections, is charged by weight at the rate of €20 per half tonne (approximately 250 wraps) with the label code.

The label code is a unique number that the farmer receives from his supplier when he purchases wrap and sheeting and proves that he paid the recycling levy.

Fertiliser and feed bags, plastic drums, as well as netting and twine wastes are accepted in half tonne sized bags at bring-centres.

In the case of fertiliser and feed bags and plastics drums a charge of €10 per bag applies, while in the case of netting and twine waste a charge of €5 per bag applies. It is important that farmers remove the inner liners from large fertiliser bags, while plastic drums must be triple rinsed.

New recycling facility

All wastes collected at the bring centres are initially taken back to the waste facilities of IFFPG approved contractors, where they are bulked, baled and sent on to recycling facilities for conversion into a range of new plastic products. These products include refuse sacks, damp proofing plastics and garden furniture.

While the majority of farm plastic wastes are currently recycled abroad, IFFPG will shortly begin supplying to a new AES Bord na Móna recycling facility in Littleton, Co. Tipperary; which, in time, will have the capacity to recycle 20,000t of material annually.

Further information

A full list of the locations of the IFFPG bring centres, every year, is available online at: www.farmplastics.ie; or alternatively you can LoCall: 1890-300-444 for more information.

Or simply click here