An agricultural plastic recovery project begins in Abitibi-Ouest

Launched in collaboration between UPA Abitibi-Ouest, AgriRÉCUP and BMR Novago La Sarre, the project aims to give a second life to packaging such as tarpaulins, film and silo bags used in large quantities in the agricultural sector.

As part of the pilot project, four producers from Abitibi-Ouest will test a compressor tank concept on their farm.

The bales formed will be transported and then stored at BMR Novago in La Sarre before being shipped outside the region for processing.

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According to the director for eastern Canada at CleanFARMS, Christine Lajeunesse, it was requests from farmers concerned about the large quantity of plastic used that motivated the launch of the project.

RECYC-QUÉBEC conducted a study and counted that there were approximately 11,500 tons of agricultural plastic that was used each year in agriculture in Quebec. In terms of silage and hay, just this sector, around 6,500 tonnes of plastic are used every year. Projects like what we are doing in Abitibi-Ouest will really make a big difference because Abitibi-Ouest is a big user of these types of plasticsshe says.

The president of the local UPA Abitibi-Ouest union and participant in the pilot project, Rémi Morin, chose to join the project for environmental reasons.

Due to the few constraints related to participation in the project, Mr. Morin believes that financial incentives would be beneficial in order to convince a large number of farmers to participate.

We do an environmental part, so if there was a little return to the producers, that would be the best. Want, don’t want, it has a cost, the tractor and all that. It’s also a time cost, so I would like to have an effort from the government that helps us a little on the other sidehe says.

It’s for the environment, because it has a cost to recycle. I have to take the plastics, clean them and bring them to the coop -Remi Morin

As for BMR Novago in La Sarre, manager Daphnée Goulet explains that it was important for the company to participate in the project in order to help reduce agricultural waste in the region.

We immediately accepted the invitation because of the importance of sustainable development. We have reserved a place for the bales and when we have enough products, AgriRéCUP comes to collect them.she explains.

According to Christine Lajeunesse, the process of compacting plastic products has many advantages for both farmers and the environment.

About 250 packages of hay bales can be compressed into a single bale. If farmers didn’t compact the plastic and take it to landfills, it would make big mountains of plastic. A truck that would transport this plastic could only transport a few tonnes, while when it is compacted, we can transport around 20 tonnes, that makes a big difference in the cost of transport.says Ms. Lajeunesse.

Among the plastic recovered during the pilot project, part will be recycled and will be used to make new canvases.

The plastic will be transformed into small balls. The logs will be sold to manufacturers of silage tarps. It’s really circular economybelieves Christine Lajeunesse.

After Abitibi-Ouest, Ms. Lajeunesse would like to extend the project to all of Abitibi-Témiscamingue.

Producers who do not have a compressor bin can obtain collection bags free of charge from BMR Novago La Sarre to recover their plastic packaging.