Farm Film Collection in Somerset
The project aims to demonstrate the viablity of large-scale county-wide recycling scheme for farm plastics. The long-term aim of the project is to develop the Somerset Scheme as a lead for a farm plastic recycling scheme across the South-west region where disposal of waste silage film is a major concern. The scheme will be developed in such a way as to create market demand and infrastructure to facilitate assimilation within a potential future national scheme.
Background
Farmers and other rural businesses throughout Somerset are being offered a sustainable alternative to on-farm burning or burying (which will be prohibited from 2006) or sending waste plastic to landfill. 13 ‘collection centres’ have been set up around Somerset for farmers to deliver waste farm film plastics for recycling.
Objectives
To collect farm plastic from rural businesses in Somerset for recycling through provision of collection centres and deliver farm plastic into markets for reprocessing and recycling. This will lead to the development of a county-wide scale farm plastic recycling scheme infrastructure in Somerset and demonstrate its feasibility.
The project will raise awareness and promote and provide a sustainable way of managing and disposing of waste plastic from farms and other rural businesses in Somerset.
Update - June 2005
Each collection centre received waste farm films delivered by farmers on a specified day during Spring 2005. A flat charge of £20 per load delivered was charged. Across the 13 sites a total of 269 farmers delivered 288 loads, amounting to approximately 320 tonnes of plastic. There were significant levels of contamination and non-recyclable material present on some loads delivered.
Once collected, the plastic was transferred to a local waste contractor and transported to a re-processor in South Wales. Problems have been experienced with baling the plastic prior to transport to the re-processor and this element of the project is still being refined. Due to ongoing problems with baling and transport to re-processor, final costings for the scheme are not available. Estimated minimum costs at this stage are over £6000 per site per collection, equating to nearly £250 per tonne. This includes an element of development and start-up costs which would be reduced once the scheme is up and running.
The money collected from the farmers was not enough to make the scheme viable; therefore the project was financially supported by various local funders. The scheme has been very well received by farmers and has received national, regional and local publicity.
The new Waste Framework Directive is likely to be introduced in September 2005, which will prohibit unregulated on-farm burning and burying. A ‘mid-winter’ collection will be completed in Somerset in December 2005. Consideration is being given to ways of making the scheme more financially viable in future, including setting up processing capacity in the South West.
