EVALUATION OF AGRICULTURAL PLASTICS WASTE MANAGEMENT IN NOVA SCOTIA: IDENTIFYING BARRIERS TO AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR IMPROVING DISPOSAL PRACTICES

Abstract

Progressive waste management directives, such as those in Europe, aim to achieve zero waste to landfill in the coming decades; plastics commonly account for an appreciable fraction of waste sent to landfill. Agricultural plastics waste (APW) is plastics waste generated on farms as part of normal agricultural production processes. APW is generated in varying types and quantities spatially and temporally. Additionally, APW is difficult to recycle as it is often contaminated and/or physically degraded; a small number of jurisdictions have implemented successful APW recycling programs. To investigate the issue of APW recycling and to identify key barriers to implementing effective, accessible APW recycling programs, Nova Scotia (NS) (Canada) was used as a case study. Plastics waste types generated on-farm were identified along with the agricultural commodity production groups that generate the most plastics waste. Farmers’ attitudes to APW recycling and operational considerations of implementing a program were investigated and discussed. Data were collected using mail-out surveys to NS farmers as well as email surveys with waste management professionals in NS and other jurisdictions, namely Prince Edward Island, Germany, Ireland, Iceland, and Norway. Findings indicate that the majority of farmers in NS are willing to introduce on-farm activities to facilitate the collection of APW for recycling, and that the environmentally responsible disposal of APW is an important consideration. In NS very little low-value plastics waste, including APW, is diverted from landfill. It was seen that successful APW recycling programs are often managed by a government body which co-ordinates the participation of stakeholders, including municipal waste managers, and that funding is provided by the farming community and the plastics producers/suppliers/importers.