b"VIEWPOINTSMaking Ag Recycling a Simple ProcessThe Agricultural Plastics Recycling Group is working hard to make ag plastics recycling easy for Alberta farmers.Editors note: This interview has been edited for length and clarity. DEAN HUBBARD ISan executive member of the Agricultural Plastics Recycling Group. He was asked to sit on the executive as a representative for the Alberta Wheat Commission, of which he is on the board of directors. Hubbard runs a cash crop farm in the Claresholm, Alta. area, and grows cereal, oilseed and pulse crops. Before farming fulltime, Hubbard attended Olds College, working with Ross McKenzie at the Lethbridge Research Station after completing his studies. He also managed a retail fertilizer and chemical facility in Nobleford, Alta. and worked on a contract for CIBC for a while before starting farming full-time in 2004.Alberta Seed Guide (ASG): What is the Agricultural Plastics Recycling Group?Dean Hubbard (DH): It's made up of 22 organizations representing agricultural producers, retailers, manufacturers, municipalities, non-profits, and some others.For (farmers) there was no place really to go with our grain bags once we were done with them. It's illegal to burn plastic in Alberta, the other option was either taking it to the local municipal landfill, or digging a hole and burying it ourselves So, they formed theDean Hubbard is an executive member of the Agricultural Plastics group in 2016. And then in 2019, they were able to get a grant fromRecycling Groupthe Government of Alberta to start the pilot program. The pilot program was supposed to run from 2019 to 2022. But we wereASG: Is there demand for other items be included? granted an extension, at least to the end of August 2023, and we'reAnd if so, have you looked at expanding in the future?in the process of asking for another extension into 2025. Eventually,DH: Yeah, there is. The silage plastic people are interested in getting we're hoping that grain bags and twine will fall under thea program for it, and the plastic wrap for bales. But like I said, government's EPR (extended producer responsibility) legislation. another group is looking after that. We hope all of the agricultural plastics eventually fall under the EPR so there's a permanent ASG: What's the group's relationship withprogram. The one problem is net wrap, there's no place that takes Cleanfarms? net wrap for recycling right now.DH: Cleanfarms runs the program for us. They run it in every other province as well pretty much. So, they take care of all the logisticsASG: If I have a grain bag and I wanted to recycle it, and report back to us on the costs and the returns so that we canwhat is the process to do that?prove that this is a worthwhile project. DH: You need to make sure that it's mechanically rolled up really tight and secured very well with twine. And then we have 147 sites ASG: What items are accepted for recycling? collecting bags and or twine now. So, you would take it to one of DH: Under our program it is just grain bags and twinethat'sthese drop-off sites. There's no cost to do that. Eventually, when all we're focusing on. Cleanfarms is also running a pilot for silagethis comes under EPR legislation, I'm imagining when you buy the plastic that covers the pits. But that's a different program. bag, there will be an additional cost to help cover the program. 48seed.ab.ca"