FIRST and foremost, plenty of people still do it, but burning bale wrap and other plastics is not an acceptable way to get rid of your plastic problem in today’s world.

The use of plastic on farms is unavoidable; bale wrap, fertiliser and meal bags, and spray containers. However, plastic usage and recycling has become a global concern and all industries are under increasing pressure to reduce their usage. The best option for you and the planet is recycling. Irish farmers recycled enough farm plastic in 2022 to wrap 18 million bales. Equine farmers may only be responsible for a small percentage of that plastic, but the question of where to recycle it remains the same.

Plastic pellets

The recycling process involves cleaning, shredding, and drying the waste before it is melted into plastic pellets. Bale wrap is sent to two facilities in Ireland to be pelleted, one in County Monaghan and another in County Tipperary. The resulting pellets are used to make a range of products including bin bags, garden furniture and pipes. Fertiliser bags become fence posts which are then sold back to the farming sector, all contributing to a circular economy.

Farm plastic waste must be sent to a licensed recycling centre or taken to a licensed landfill site for disposal. Irish Farm Film Producers Group CLG (IFFPG) is Ireland’s only farm plastic recycling compliance scheme. A Not-For-Profit company who offer approximately 200 ‘Bring Centres’ (you bring your plastic to their designated sites nationwide) where they provide cost effective and comprehensive recycling service for farmers.

For those who can’t make the Bring Centres, IFFPG also offer a farm yard collection all year round at an additional cost.

As well as accepting and collecting silage wrap and sheeting, they now collect a wide range of farm plastics from netting and twine, fertiliser and feed bags and triple rinsed spray drums. These Bring Centres typically run in local marts, GAA clubs or Co-ops from April to September and the locations can be found on the website www.farmplastics.ie.

For more information on your equine farm plastics, call 01-4089966.