A pilot project is testing whether used silage wrap plastic, one of agriculture’s most persistent waste problems, can be turned into fence posts and agricultural pipe.
The trial brings together recycler iQRenew, Macka’s Beef, Macleay Valley Farmers and Regional Development Australia Mid North Coast (RDAMNC), working across the MidCoast and Kempsey Shire council areas to collect and reprocess silage wrap that would otherwise be burned, buried or landfilled.
Collected wrap is stockpiled on-farm and transported to iQRenew’s Circular Manufacturing Precinct at Kundle Kundle, near Taree, for processing. Trials with plastic drums, another difficult farm waste stream, are planned next.
“This pilot shows what’s possible when industry, farmers and regional partners work together on practical, place-based solutions to waste.” – Dr Madeleine Lawler, CEO of Regional Development Australia Mid North Coast
The project offers farmers a practical, low-cost alternative to landfill, with partners inviting more farmers and councils to get involved as collection expands.
Full media release available HERE.