Government's grain bag recyclying program extended

The federal and provincial governments have announced that the Grain Bag Recycling Pilot Project will continue in 2014 thanks to a $100,000 investment. The program, which has been in place since March 2011, offers recycling for both grain bags and twine.


"We are pleased to extend the Grain Bag Recycling Pilot Project until a permanent program is implemented," Saskatchewan Agriculture Minister Lyle Stewart said in a statement. "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."


Since its inception over three years ago, the program, funded by the federal-provincial Growing Forward 2 framework, has recycled over 2,100 grain bags (about 325,800 kilograms of plastic) and 6,600 kilograms of twine. The Ministry of Environment is working on creating a permanent recycling program by 2015. The program is administered by Simply Agriculture Solutions Inc. (formerly known as the Provincial Council of Agriculture Development and Diversification Boards).


"Simply Agriculture Solutions looks forward to continuing to provide an environmentally responsible solution for the disposal of the grain bags and twine and working with producers across the province as we incorporate additional plastics into the pilot program," Agricultural Plastic Recycling Coordinator Travis Quirk said in a statement.


One of 14 collection sites in the province where farmers and ranchers can drop off grain bags and twine will be at the REACT landfill just south of Humboldt. That location has been a part of the recycling program for about 18 months, according to Wendy Yaworski, REACT's general manager.


"Last year we had a truck full of recycled bags that did go out," Yaworski said. "There is a small pile of bags there now and once we get up to about 150 they'll be taken away again."


Before they are accepted, bags must be cleaned, rolled and secured with twine. A grain roller at the REACT site is free for farmers to use if they have no way of rolling the bags themselves. Twine must be rolled and packaged in large, clear bags that are provided to farmers by Simply Agriculture Solutions. While the program is still in a state of relative infancy, it is viewed as a welcome extension to the current services offered in the region.


"This is a wonderful opportunity for REACT to expand its recycling program all across the district," Yaworski said, adding that a REACT site in Cudworth is also accepting grain bags and twine.


Most importantly, the program is offering farmers an alternative to burning their grain bags, which has long been the standard practice.


"Farmers who want to dispose of bags know that recycling them is a better environmental option than burning them," Yaworski said. "This is starting to catch on which is very beneficial. Farmers are trying to be more responsible and this program is a wonderful way to encourage that."


Any farmers looking for more information on the grain bag and twine recycling program are encouraged to contact REACT.

Producers can also contact Simply Agriculture Solutions Inc. at 1-866-298-7222 for additional information.