Agrecovery Rural Recycling will be holding a free collection event in Te Puna on 18th June to encourage farmers, growers and sports turf managers to recycle agrichemical containers.
Two recent events held in Taihape and Darfield (Canterbury) collected nearly 5,000 containers that would otherwise have been burned or dumped on properties.
“With increasing pressure on farmers to make good environmental decisions we want this free recycling programme to be more accessible and reduce unnecessary burning and dumping of plastic,” says Duncan Scotland of Agrecovery.
“We have five permanent sites across the Bay of Plenty in Katikati, Te Puke, Edgecumbe, Opotiki and Rotorua, but we know that Te Puna is also a high use area for agrichemicals, so it makes sense to hold a recycling event here.”
Empty, triple rinsed agrichemical and animal health plastic containers can be brought to the Farmlands store at 15B Minden Road on Wednesday 18th June from 10am – 2pm.
“Our 56 participating manufacturers pay a levy to allow farmers and growers to recycle their containers for free so we really hope they will throw their triple rinsed empties into the ute, grab something from the BBQ, and make the most of this opportunity,” says Mr Scotland.
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.
To recycle through this event, containers must be 0-60 litres in size, free of chemical residue and organic contamination 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.
70 permanent Agrecovery container collection sites are located across New Zealand, with five sites in the Bay of Plenty. Click here for full details.