Lacombe, Red Deer and Ponoka counties launch agricultural plastics recycling program
Lacombe County, Red Deer County, and Ponoka County recently joined together to ensure the proper recycling of plastic grain bags.
“For a number of years, Council has explored options for recycling agricultural plastics,” explained Lacombe County Reeve, Paula Law. “While this program won’t be operated on a cost recovery basis, it does eliminate expenditures associated with tipping fees when agriculture plastics are landfilled. The partnership with other counties provides an economy of scale for manpower and equipment while providing local producers with a recycling option that promotes sustainable agricultural practices.”
“The Ag Plastics Recycling Program is an important project for Red Deer County and our agricultural community. Not only does it show strong collaboration between neighbouring municipalities, it will take large volumes of plastics out of the landfill and allow them to be repurposed. This is a positive for our environment and our economy,” said Red Deer County Mayor Jim Woods.
“While the concern with agricultural plastic waste is more than a regional issue, I’m pleased that our three counties were able to come together to find a local solution,” said Paul McLauchlin, Ponoka County Reeve. “Our hope is that local producers will help us make this program a long-term success so that other municipalities could use it as a model when creating their own plan.”
