22 FARMERS RELY ON single-use plastics for crop production and protection every day, but as bans are enacted by governments worldwide on consumer products like plastic straws and grocery bags, many farmers are questioning whether items they rely on are at risk. At this time, Barry Friesen, executive director of Cleanfarms, believes items like pesticide containers, seed, pesticide, grain and silage bags, bale wrap, and twine will continue to be available due to the effort the industry has made to recycle these items. "As long as we look after them appropriately, we are not likely to face any measures, like bans," he says. SMALL CONTAINER RECYCLING Cleanfarm's flagship small container recycling program operates from coast to coast. Recycling of other farm materials varies from province to province. With an over 90 per cent recovery rate for allowable materials Single-use plastic recovery OPTIONS FOR REDUCING IMPACT OF AGRICULTURAL PLASTICS Barb Keith CLEANFARMS RECYCLES 23L AND SMALLER PESTICIDE AND FERTILIZER CONTAINERS. PHOTO COURTEY OF CLEANFARMS. in Ontario, Quebec, and the Maritimes, farmers have demonstrated a strong commitment to keeping these items out of landfill sites or other inappropriate disposal methods, like burning. Friesen believes some of the program's success is due to the long history these provinces have of household recycling programs, so farmers are accustomed to diverting plastics from the garbage bin. Nationally, the recovery rate is 77 per cent, which is considered very good for a largely voluntary program. According to Cleanfarms, Sustainability
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