By allowing ads to appear on this site, you support the local businesses who, in turn, support great journalism.
Recycling options for used ag plastic
Placeholder Image
BRODHEAD - Area farmers now have the opportunity to dispose of their used plastic film from wrapped bales, bunker covers and silo bags from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. every Wednesday at the Green County Landfill, between Monroe and Brodhead at W2002 County SS, Brodhead. The ag plastic recycling program is free and open for all farmers from surrounding counties.

Green County has collected and recycled more than 125 tons of used ag plastic over the past two years. However, that represents only a small amount of the estimated 500 tons of ag plastics for silo bags, bunker cover and bales wraps that are sold annually in the area. Green County bales the used ag plastic into one-ton bales; a recycling vendor then provides the trucking to its plant in Arkansas, where the plastic is recycled into trash can liners.

Burning used plastic is illegal and farmers can be fined for this practice. Burning used ag plastic also releases into the environment dioxins that are hazardous to both humans and animals. The Green County recycling program provides area farmers with a free and legal method for disposing of their plastic and also frees up expensive space in the landfills.

While the local plastic collection will continue on Wednesdays, many area dairy and livestock farmers may have another option for recycling their ag plastic starting later this spring. Revolution Plastics, the recycling vendor with whom the county is working, will be expanding its offer of providing free dumpsters and on-farm pick up to several hundred more area farms.

UW-Extension and the Green County Landfill recently conducted a pilot program with Revolution Plastics in which 88 area farms received free dumpsters and on-farm pick up since last summer. Due to the success of the pilot program, the company now plans to offer this program to several hundred more area farmers in 2016. Green County will serve as the hub for the rollout of this new program, with farmers within a 70-mile radius of Green County being given first chance to participate in the free service offered by Revolution Plastics. After farmers in the immediate area are served, the company then will expand out to a larger geographical area.

Dairy and livestock farmers interested in enrolling in the program offered by Revolution Plastics can register to get on a waiting list online at http://www.revolutionplastics.com/.

Only No. 4 plastic from silo bags, bunker covers, bale wraps from farms, and greenhouse covers and drip tape from the greenhouse industry are accepted through this collection. Plastic twine, mesh bale wraps, plastic jugs and all other types of plastic containers cannot be recycled through this program and will not be accepted.

While the newer technology allows for these ag plastics to be recycled, the plastic still needs to be relatively clean: It cannot contain large amounts of mud, manure, gravel or silage. While it is not practical to remove all dirt from used plastic, farmers are asked to shake any excess mud, gravel, dirt and feed off the plastic before storing it for recycling. It also is recommended that the bottom portion of silo bags be taken to the landfill instead of being recycled.

For more information about the Green County ag plastic collection program, go to the Green County UW-Extension web page at: http://green.uwex.edu/ or contact Mark Mayer, Green County UW-Extension agriculture agent, at 608-328-9440 or mark.mayer@ ces.uwex.edu.