The strong participation of farmers in local pilot projects for the recycling of agricultural plastics and the cumulative successes to date are now encouraging several municipalities in the Montérégie to establish new sites. In the region, we are talking about Uniag Coopérative in Sainte-Martine, the Garage municipal in Hinchinbrooke and the Garage municipal de Saint-Anicet.
The time has therefore come to extend this program to all Montérégie farms that wish to contribute to the recycling of agricultural plastics used for the storage and preservation of hay and silage. They include bale wrap film, silage tarps and bags, twine and netwrap. They will be valued and avoid landfill.
“The Montérégie is the leader in bio food in Quebec and the partners of the sectoral agreement for the development of bio food are all sensitive to the agri-environmental issues associated with this sector of activity. The arrival of a regional agricultural plastics recycling project for the whole of Montérégie is therefore enthusiastically welcomed, especially since it corresponds to priority issues by mobilizing stakeholders in the bio food sector and promoting the sustainability of the territory through the implementation of eco-responsible practices”, mentions Mr. Patrick Bousez, president of the Table de concertation régionale de la Montérégie.
Teamwork: key to success
The agricultural sector uses various agricultural plastics, most of which unfortunately are not recycled. Thanks to the projects, an effective solution to this challenge seems to take place.
In addition to the support and funding from the Ministry of Environment, other public and private sector organizations are collaborating on pilot projects in the Montérégie, notably the Fédération de l’UPA Montérégie and Sollio Groupe Coopératif.
Although collection is voluntary, it is important to sort the different plastics into categories and make sure they are free of debris. These criteria optimize recycling. Plastics can be placed, by category, in AgriRÉCUP collection bags. To learn more about agricultural plastics collections, please contact your RCM or visit agrirecup.ca.
“Protecting the environment is a priority for the Fédération de l’UPA Montérégie. The results of this pilot project are meaningful: farmers in the Montérégie are committed to the recycling of agricultural plastics. I therefore encourage all farmers in the territory to participate now in this initiative, which is intended to be a good way to be part of the solution by reducing the ecological footprint of our agricultural businesses”, states Mr. Jérémie Letellier, president of the Fédération de l’UPA Montérégie.
