Agrecovery Rural Recycling is returning to Taranaki for three free recycling events for plastic agrichemicals, animal health and dairy hygiene containers.
“We’ve moved the timing of the events from November to June, in response to feedback from dairy farmers, who use this time to clear up their properties in preparation for calving,” says Duncan Scotland of Agrecovery.
According to Scotland the programme is financially supported by nearly 60 brand owners who, year-round, make it free to recycle the containers of more than 3,000 agricultural products.
“We’re also delighted to announce that dairy hygiene and animal health supplier, FIL, will be joining Agrecovery for these events.”
Scotland says that participating Agrecovery brand owners make a real commitment to both their customers and the environment, providing a simple and responsible alternative to burning and dumping farm waste.
“Ideally we’d like all suppliers to be involved, so we’re very pleased that for the Taranaki collections we can add FIL to our list of containers that are free to recycle.”
Empty, triple rinsed plastic containers can be brought to the following locations:
Eltham, RD1, 178 Bridge Street on 23 June;
Inglewood, RD1, 22 Rata Street on 24 June (BBQ at lunchtime);
Opunake, Farmlands, 2 Aytoun Street on 25 June;
All events are open 10am to 3pm.
According to Scotland, two recent events held in Taihape and Darfield (Canterbury) collected nearly 5,000 containers that would otherwise have been burned or dumped on properties.
“We have four permanent collection sites at Stratford, Waitara, Hawera and Okato, but with increasing pressure on farmers to make good environmental decisions we’re holding these additional events to make access to free recycling as handy as possible.”
To recycle through these events, containers must be 0-60 litres in size, free of chemical residue and dirt inside and out, and still have the label on to identify the brand. All containers will be inspected before being accepted. Only containers from participating brand owners are free to recycle. A list of these and full acceptance criteria are available here or by calling 0800 247 326.
Containers brought in for recycling will be processed in Auckland, with one of the common uses for the recycled plastic being an underground cable cover.
“Last financial year, we collected enough containers to make a 15cm wide cable cover reaching from Auckland to Invercargill and back,” says Mr Scotland.