A good practice information sheet, giving farmers guidance on handling, segregation and storage of agricultural waste plastics (AWP), has been launched. The sheet is available to download at www.agwasteplastics.org.uk from December 6 and is part of efforts to raise farmer awareness ahead of the expected introduction of a Statutory Producer Responsibility (PR) scheme.

Amongst other industry stakeholders, the NFU is joining forces to reduce the amount of non-packaging plastics that end up buried as landfill.

The scheme should see non-packaging plastic producers and importers take responsibility for funding collection of waste, with every farm across the country given access to a free service at the point of collection. The development of the scheme is being informed by a one million pounds research project funded by Defra’s Business Resource Efficiency and Waste (BREW) programme.

NFU waste spokesman Robert Caudwell believes the scheme will have a positive impact on NFU members by helping to develop and improve nationwide recycling infrastructure and thereby reducing the cost of compliance with the new waste regulations. “We welcome the comments from the minister and publication of this good practice guide and are backing this scheme because we believe it will bring benefits to NFU members,” he said. “The NFU wants to see an independent body issuing local tenders for waste collections - which would cover both packaging and non-packaging farm plastics. This should, in turn, bring greater competition to the market place by allowing both farmers and existing collectors to apply for one of the tenders in their area, providing more opportunities for diversification and growth in their businesses.”

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