Saskatchewan’s Grain Bag and Twine Recycling Pilot Project began in March of 2011 and has diverted a total of 730,500 lb of plastic out of landfills. Last month, federal Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz and Saskatchewan Agriculture Minister Lyle Stewart announced the project would receive an additional $100,000 for 2014.
“We are pleased to extend the Grain Bag Recycling Pilot Project until a permanent program is implemented,” Stewart said. “With increasing use of grain bags to store the record crop from last year’s harvest, we want farmers to continue to have an option to responsibly dispose of their bags.”
Meanwhile, the Saskatchewan Ministry of Environment is working on regulations for a permanent recycling program, hoped to begin in 2015.
Grain bags are accepted rolled, which eases the transportation burden and helps clean the bags. Rollers are mounted on a trailer, transported by the producer and are free of charge. Twine only needs to be collected in clear plastic bags (available at the collection sites pictured, or click here), dry and free of debris.
The Grain Bag Recycling Pilot Project is administered by Simply Agriculture Solutions Inc. (formerly the Provincial Council of Agriculture Development and Diversification Boards) with funding through Growing Forward 2 framework. Though grain bags and twine are all that is being accepted now, Simply Agriculture Solutions Inc. is currently identifying methods to collect net wrap and silage plastic.
For more information, visit simplyag.ca or call Simply Agriculture at 1-866-298-7222 ext 204.
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