Washtenaw County farmers and residents will have a rare chance next month to recycle certain hard-to-manage plastics through a one-time collection event in Ann Arbor.
The Washtenaw County Conservation District and Transition to Organic Partnership Program will host an agricultural plastics recycling collection on Monday, April 13, from 9 a.m. to noon at the Washtenaw Food Hub, 4175 Whitmore Lake Road. Participants must register for a time slot in advance.
Organizers say the event is meant to address a need that is difficult to meet through regular recycling options.
“Plastics will continue to be a very crucial part of farming,” Kristen Sutter, natural resource technician with the Washtenaw County Conservation District, said in an email. “As long as we continue to manufacture plastic, we should also have ways to put the material back into manufacturing instead of dumping it in the landfill.”
Sutter said the material organizers expect to recycle the most of is bale cover, which is commonly used by livestock producers to ferment hay for cattle.
She said the event could also help some residential participants, particularly those looking to recycle horticultural pots and trays.
“There is no recycling for those in our area,” Sutter said. “The closest facility I could find to take the pots and trays to is two hours and fifteen minutes away. This is a rare one-time opportunity.”
According to event materials, accepted items include bale cover, silage tarp, certain horticultural pots and trays, and pallet stretch wrap. Materials must be relatively clean and free of rocks, soil, plant matter and other debris. Some items, including greenhouse film, plastic mulch, household plastics and dirty material, will not be accepted.
The collection is open to anyone who completes registration, but Sutter said it will not be a recurring service.
“Due to the challenges associated with recycling this specialized material, this will be a one-time opportunity, despite strong local demand for the service,” she said.
Sutter said larger agricultural plastics often build up on farms while producers search for a disposal option, and in many cases the materials are either sent to landfills or burned.
She said the event removes difficult-to-manage farm waste at no cost to farmers while diverting plastic from the waste stream and returning it to manufacturing.
Organizers had hoped the effort might help establish a more permanent local recycling system, Sutter said, but found the barriers were greater than expected.
For event details and registration, visit the Washtenaw County Conservation District’s event page or call 734-302-8715.
Featured photo: Cows look on from an area farm. Photo by Heather Finch
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