Levy disadvantage forces FRS to halt farm plastics collection

WASTE plastic from farms will no longer be collected by the Farm Relief Service (FRS) in Wicklow because the business does not qualify for the recycling levy,

The FRS depot in Tinahely stopped taking farm plastic waste on May 1 and farmers wishing to avail of the service must now travel to Kilkenny.

“As and from May 1, 2018 FRS Wicklow is no longer able to accept farm plastics waste of any kind at our depot at Rosnastraw, Tinahely. We apologise for any inconvenience caused,” a notice sent to local farmers read.

No reason was given at the time, but it is understood that FRS Wicklow was unable to compete with national waste companies that can avail of the recycling levy.

Farmers in the Wicklow area who wish to continue using FRS must now travel to the Kilkenny depot where they can offload waste plastic.

FRS has 17 depots throughout Ireland and all offer a wide range of farm services, from general farm labour, to pregnancy scanning, and calf dehorning.

Depending on the location, some depots offer a waste collection service for farm plastics, while others offer both a ‘bring’ and a ‘collection’ service.

IFFPG, the national farm plastics recycling scheme, recycles in excess of 25,000 tonnes of farm plastics yearly.

Farmers who purchase levied plastic qualify for a significant reduction in collection fees if it is presented to IFFPG prior to, or at, collection.

IFFPG operate some 235 ‘bring’ locations nationwide, as well as a collection service.

Tinahely is the only FRS depot which has stopped collecting waste farm plastic for disposal.