Yard collections for farm plastic recycling to resume

Yard collections for the recycling of farm plastic will resume from next week onward, it has been confirmed.

The Irish Farm Films Producers Group (IFFPG), the national farm plastics recycling scheme, made an announcement on the matter today, Monday, May 11.

In addition, bring-centres will resume from the beginning of July further to the recent announcement of the Government’s lockdown exit strategy.

Farmyard collections, which were suspended in late March due to increased Covid-19 restrictions, will now resume nationwide on Monday, May 18, in line with the lockdown exit strategy, which allows certain outdoor work to resume on that date.

IFFPG contractors will provide the service in strict compliance with social distancing guidelines, with farmers asked to pay by credit card where possible, the group explained.

The cost to the farmer to avail of a farmyard collection remains at €45/half-tonne – which holds approximately 200-250 wraps – this year.

Image source: IFFPG Farm Plastics

The IFFPG said that it now hopes to be in a position to provide a bring-centre service during the period July to September this year.

It is intended that the usual bring-centre locations will be used in each county in as much as possible, with the IFFPG very appreciative to the owners of marts, co-ops and GAA fields for continuing to make their premises available.

In total, it is expected that approximately 230 bring-centres will be held, with appropriate social distancing procedures followed at all bring-centres. The cost to farmers to use bring-centres will remain at €20/half tonne for silage wrap and sheeting waste this year.

As usual, IFFPG will also accept netting waste (€5/half-tonne bag), fertiliser/feed bags and agri-chemical drums (all €10/half-tonne bag) at bring-centres.

On the basis that the Government’s lock-down strategy goes to plan, the IFFPG expects to once again collect approximately 30,000t of farm plastic waste for recycling this year.

In terms of wrap and sheeting waste, this equates to a 75% recycling rate which is one of the highest in Europe, the IFFPG says.

Collected material is sent for recycling to a range of facilities in Ireland and elsewhere in Europe where it is converted into a range of new products, such as refuse sacks, construction film and garden furniture.