Key Takeaways
- Cleanfarms and the Fraser Valley Regional District (FVRD) are launching a five-year pilot program (2025–2029) to recycle bale wrap and silage plastics.
- Funded by the governments of Canada and British Columbia through the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership.
- The initiative builds on previous recycling efforts in Northern BC and Agassiz.
- Farmers will store baled plastics on-farm and participate in biannual drop-off events.
- Cleanfarms will host a demonstration day in Agassiz on June 17, 2025, to showcase compactors and provide information.
Cleanfarms’s Program Overview and Objectives
Cleanfarms, in collaboration with the Fraser Valley Regional District (FVRD), has announced a new five-year pilot program aimed at supporting the recycling of agricultural plastics in British Columbia’s Fraser Valley. The program, scheduled to run from 2025 through 2029, focuses on bale wrap and silage plastics, which are commonly used by dairy and livestock farmers.
The initiative is supported financially by the federal and provincial governments through the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership, under the Environmental Sustainability & Climate Change stream. The program’s objective is to reduce plastic waste in agriculture while identifying long-term, scalable recycling solutions across the province.
Building on Local and Regional Experience
This Fraser Valley pilot builds upon earlier pilots in Northern BC and several years of on-the-ground recycling activity in Agassiz. Cleanfarms, a national organization dedicated to agricultural waste reduction, has worked alongside local farmers and received support from industry groups such as Dairy Farmers of Canada to enhance collection and logistics for on-farm plastics recycling.
The pilot also benefits from lessons learned through Cleanfarms’ broader recycling initiatives, including the collection of pesticide containers, seed and fertilizer totes, drums, and livestock medication packaging.
Stakeholder Perspectives
Several officials and partners highlighted the importance of the initiative:
- Heath MacDonald, Canada’s Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, noted that “programs like this will help farmers in the Fraser Valley make their operations more sustainable and protect their livelihoods.”
- Lana Popham, BC’s Minister of Agriculture and Food, emphasized the role of recycling in promoting long-term food security and responsible land management.
- Patricia Ross, FVRD Board Chair, stated that the collaboration with Cleanfarms “creates practical solutions to help farmers reduce their environmental footprint.”
- Barry Friesen, Executive Director of Cleanfarms, described the project as a valuable opportunity to refine collection strategies that could lead to permanent recycling programs province-wide.
Participation and Next Steps For Cleanfarms’ Project
The program will operate with a straightforward participation model: farmers store baled agricultural plastics on-farm, and twice-a-year drop-off events will enable them to dispose of these materials efficiently. To assist with onboarding, Cleanfarms will host a Demonstration Day in Agassiz on June 17, 2025, where farmers can explore compactors and learn about best practices.
Additional recycling opportunities remain available through Cleanfarms’ ongoing collection efforts, including its Unwanted Pesticides & Livestock Medications (UPLM) program, with the next BC collection scheduled for 2025 in the Peace Region.
