Why getting rid of plastic is a burning issue for most farmers

FARMING COMMENT FARMERS, like the rest of society, use a lot of plastic, polythene and other synthetics in the form of products like bale wrap, silage sheets, chemical drums, fertiliser bags or vegetable covers.

Unbelievably, UK farmers produce a staggering, half-a-million tonnes of plastic waste every year. That estimate is based on the amount sold, and doesn’t take into account the fact a sheet of plastic can more than double in weight when it becomes dirty with mud.

Plastic sheets may well come neatly wrapped round a cardboard tube, or compactly folded inside a polythene bag, but once they have been used they seem to increase dramatically in volume – by as much as a hundred-fold..

At one time used farm plastic sheets were burned on farm as their awkward bulk and dirtiness made them unattractive to manufacturers that specialise in recycling such waste. Not only were they awkward and expensive to transport, they also have to be thoroughly washed before processing.

There is clear evidence environmental damage and harm to human health can result from the burning of plastics so the practice was made illegal across Europe - but farmers in Scotland have been allowed to go on incinerating their waste plastic under an exemption to the environmental regulations updated in 2013.

While it has long been the case farmers have not been allowed to burn big piles of plastic in open bonfires, the exemption allows the use of simple drum incinerators that create a fierce burn without the production of black smoke. Farm assurance schemes have regularly been checking that exemption licences have been granted, while other Government officials carry out spot inspections.

Following discussion with NFU Scotland and Zero Waste Scotland, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) announced at the end of last month that burning farm plastics, and most types of agricultural waste, will not be allowed under exemption from January 1 next year. That will not only align with the legal requirement for all Scottish businesses to present plastics and other items separately for collection, but it is hoped that it will also help boost the Scottish market for recycled plastics.

As always, enforcement will be by Government officials demanding receipts from waste disposal companies, as well as regularly inspecting farms to confirm that waste plastic hasn’t been buried or simply hidden out of sight.

There are currently 5,000 existing registered exemptions and it has been estimated they dispose of more than 50,000 tonnes of plastic on-farm every year – so the move is likely to cost the industry millions of pounds.

Cost affects every business and needs to be kept as low as possible. There are already existing areas where collection of plastic is free, but this depends on location of producers and collectors. Infrastructure for collection is lacking in Scotland, particularly in more outlying areas where transport is already at a premium.

Farmers in Dumfries and Galloway are fortunate to have RPC bpi Recycling based near Dumfries, one of the largest polythene film recyclers in Europe.

The firm has the scope and expertise to recycle up to 120,000 tonnes of plastic each year across Europe with plastics, including silage wrap and fertiliser bags, being recycled into refuse sacks and Plaswood lumber, made from 100 per cent recycled plastic pellets. Plaswood can then be fabricated into products such as boardwalks, fencing, gates and garden furniture as part of a circular economy. The process turns something of little value into something of very high value.

While those in the South West are fortunate to have such a facility on their doorstep, time is very short to implement a countrywide collection system that has little or no cost to all farmers and crofters.

NFU Scotland vice president Martin Kennedy said: “Recognising the spotlight is focussed on plastics, it is incumbent on all stakeholders that we help farmers and crofters do the right thing when dealing with the forthcoming ban on burning farm plastics.

“There is a very short window for change, but we have been working closely with SEPA and Zero Waste Scotland on clear messages and practical measures that farmers can follow. That involves meaningful, simple guidance on what can and can’t be done - what is and what isn’t recyclable, and what the options are for farm plastics deemed non-recyclable. We also want to ensure the collection centre network is as comprehensive as possible, so those in more remote areas have realistic options to have this material disposed of properly in the future.”

It has been estimated they dispose of more than

50,000 tonnes of plastic on-farm every year