Wednesday, 12 July 2023 11:55

Saving a million feed bags from landfill every year

Written by  Staff Reporters
Agrecovery’s Tony Wilson and Seales Winslow’s Grant Jackson celebrate the deal. Agrecovery’s Tony Wilson and Seales Winslow’s Grant Jackson celebrate the deal.

More than one million calf feed bags each year could be saved from landfill as SealesWinslow becomes one of the first animal nutrition companies in New Zealand to join Agrecovery.

From this month, farmers will be able to recycle SealesWinslow's 20kg and 25kg feed bags through Agrecovery at no cost. If every bag was recycled, it would prevent more than 1 million or 85 tonnes of calf feed bags going to landfill each season.

The initiative is one way SealesWinslow says it is helping farmers reduce waste to meet dairy company requirements and environmental regulations. The news is timely with an industry wide product stewardship scheme for agricultural plastics expected to come into force in 2024 as part of the Ministry for the Environment's Waste Minimisation Act.

Along with some dairy companies, Fonterra has also signalled that participation in the Agrecovry scheme will be a priority for its farmer suppliers, making it part of its Co-operative Difference programme, which pays farmers a premium for achieving targets around milk quality, sustainability, animal welfare, and health and safety.

"As our global customers continue to demand sustainably produced dairy products and we take steps to do the right thing by our environment, our entire agricultural sector is stepping up to find innovative solutions to minise waste. This responsibility rests with all of us, not just our farmers," says SealesWinslow general manager Grant Jackson. "Farmers already have a lot on their plates, so we want to make the recycling process as easy as possible."

Agrecovery national scheme manager Felicity Mitchell says the company's Woven PP Product Stewardship Scheme plays a crucial role in providing New Zealand farmers with a practical solution for managing this type of plastic packaging.

"The success of this voluntary scheme relies heavily on the leadership of the scheme's founding brands. These companies have all shown commendable commitment by joining the scheme from the outset and taking responsibility for the plastic packaging they put into the sector," says Mitchell.

"Their active participation enhances the scheme's overall effectiveness and reach by inspiring other brands to join. It also highlights the importance of collaboration and shared responsibility in addressing plastic packaging management challenges."

The company's partnership with Agrecovery is part of a larger sustainability project by SealesWinslow to introduce an eco-friendly packaging solution for its 20kg bagged calf feed from the 2024-25 season.

More like this

Balanced diets key to keeping cows in milk

Waikato dairy farmers are well-placed heading into the peak of summer, thanks to favourable growing conditions late last year that resulted in abundant onfarm feed reserves.

Agrecovery launches new recycling scheme

Agrecovery, an accredited product stewardship scheme operator for farm plastics, has launched its latest initiative, allowing for the recycling of wool fadges.

Plastic recycling efforts paying off

Farm plastic recycler, Agrecovery’s Green-farms Product Stewardship Scheme (GPSS) has been officially accredited under the Waste Minimisation Act (2008).

Green light for acquisition

The merger of two of the country’s largest animal nutrition companies won’t lessen competition, the Commerce Commission has ruled.

Featured

Farmers will adapt amid global trade turmoil

New tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump signal an uncertain future, but New Zealand farmers know how to adapt to changing conditions, says Auriga Martin, chief executive of Farm Focus.

National

Machinery & Products

Gong for NH dealers

New Holland dealers from around Australia and New Zealand came together last month for the Dealer of the Year Awards,…

A true Kiwi ingenuity

The King Cobra raingun continues to have a huge following in the New Zealand market and is also exported to…

Data crucial to managing water

Watermetrics was formed as a water data collector and currently supplies and services modern technology such as flow meters, soil…

» Latest Print Issues Online

Milking It

Dairy power

OPINION: The good times felt across the dairy sector weren't lost at last week's Beef + Lamb NZ annual meeting.

» Connect with Dairy News

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter