New recycling site helps Westport farmers clear more waste

Farmlands in Westport is supporting the push to clear more rural waste and support sustainable farming by joining the list of Agrecovery container collection sites throughout the country.

Local farmers can make the most of recycling agrichemical containers at the site. Empty triple-rinsed containers, up to 60 litres in size, from participating brand owners can be recycled there for free. The plastic is picked up, shredded and sent to Auckland to be reborn as underground cable cover or building materials to prevent rising damp.

Farmers with larger drums (over 60 litres) or large quantities of containers can book on-farm collection directly through the Agrecovery recycling programme.

Business manager of the branch Jack Cockfield says the store got on board with the programme to “do the right thing” and make sure that plastic agrichemical waste is “put to the best use”.

“We know it’s going to be done properly,” because he says Agrecovery is a “well-known and reputable company”.

Cockfield gets a lot of questions from the local community about recycling and disposing of plastic waste. His clients, mainly dairy farmers - often from a long line of farmers, are “very keen” to participate in agrichemical container recycling, he says. “They’ve been waiting for the opportunity” and are already keen to drop product off, “they are chafing at the bit to make sure it’s done properly”.

Westport farmers are very concerned about the environment – “even though it may not always appear that way to the general public,” he says. They are in the throes of calving right now, but are getting prepared for spraying. "It’s still a couple of months before we see the bulk of the containers turning up," says Cockfield. He and his team are keen to get the word out to ensure that people are fully aware of available recycling options.

Farmlands Westport is open from 8am – 5pm, Monday to Friday. The site can be found at the corner of Fonblanque Street and The Esplanade.

ENDS

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