NORWICH – For months, the Chenango County Agriculture and Farmland Protection Board has been exploring new avenues for local farmers to dispose of plastic and new options were brought to light during the monthly board meeting last week.
Lois Levitan, program coordinator for the Cornell University Recycling Agricultural Plastics Project (RAPP), spoke to the board about options farmers have in disposing of agricultural plastics, which commonly include items like horticultural mulch film, drip tape, dairy bunk silo covers, pesticide containers, packaging and platic pallets. Traditionally, farmers have burned plastics with other solid waste, but open burning releases toxins and is a high risk for wildfires. A New York State regulation prohibiting open burning of trash went into effect in 2009 and since then, more and more farmers have been tossing recyclable plastics in the dumpster.
But according to Levitan, there is a niche market for agricultural plastics. Though not an easy goal, she said the key is to find a company willing to pay for agricultural plastic, which tends to be dirtier, bulkier or have a chemical residue. Such plastics could still be used in manufacturing plastic construction materials, machinery and in many cases, might even undergo a process to extract the crude oil originally used to make the plastic.
Levitan is currently working with Madison County in an agricultural plastics recycling initiative. Workers in the program collect and bale agricultural plastics from farms around Madison County. The plastic is then sold off to a buyer or manufacturer that can use it.
While still new, the program has promising results, she said, but barriers such as education about the issue among farmers and financial restraints in county government are an obstacle to overcome. The Chenango County Ag and Farmland Protection Board is exploring the possibility of a similar program.
“Right now, we’re learning as we are doing,” explained Levitan, noting that RAPP wasn’t an overnight success and may even still be dubbed “inefficient” until more surrounding county governments join in the effort. “No county is big enough to handle this program on their own,” she added.
“You have to be dealing with a market that can work with small levels of dirt or some levels of moisture,” Levitan went on to say. “It’s not a simple solution. We’re trying to learn about it, implement it, but our goal is to keep it going,” she added, stressing the need for county elected officials to play a role. “Without local leadership, it’s not going to go any place ... If you start small, other people are going to see that it is possible and hopefully join in.”
Although a recycling program for agricultural plastics is catching on, financial restraints faced by local governments are keeping many municipalities from jumping on board. Members of the ag board expressed concern that the county lacks funding to keep a program running and that the county Board of Supervisors might not think it’s worth the investment. A tight budget might prevent money needed for recruitment, training, baling, transport of bales and balers, equipment acquisition and maintenance, suppliers, insurance and fuel.
James Zecca, director of the Madison County Department of Solid Waste and Sanitation, partnered with Levitan and the RAPP effort to market agricultural plastics and get the word out to local farmers. He also addressed the board. Said Zecca, “This isn’t the first thing that’s on farmers’ minds ... As with any recycling program, we have to find ways of making it convenient to the public. We’re trying to come up with a convenient program,” he said, adding that the effort begins with commitment to the program and education among local farmers. “Without that, forget it. It’s not going to work,” he said.