In Wales, new initiatives have been attempted in Wales with the aim of recycling another 200 tonnes of farm plastic, allowing farmers to reduce plastic and recycle plastic.
Natural Resources Wales (NRW) Four Rivers for Life Project aims to boost farm plastic collection and recycling in four river catchments: Teifi, Tywi, Cleddau and Usk.
Farmers and landowners can recycle farm plastics through designated drop-off centres at livestock markets and sites in Lampeter, Crymych, Llandovery, Sennybridge, Raglan and potentially Talsarn near Carmarthen.
Plastic waste such as silage wrap poses a major threat to these rivers, NRW explained.
It can harm wildlife, including fish, birds and amphibians, through entanglement and ingestion, but it also blocks waterways, prevents fish movement and increases flood risk.
Chris Thomas, Senior Land Management Director, said: “Farm plastics have been found in the Teif, the Taiwi and Kledaw rivers, contributing to the overall environmental issues affecting health.
“A healthy river supports more than farmers and the environment. It also helps communities thrive and grow. The river can fully carry out this function and only support farmers when they are healthy and have no contaminated or plastic waste.”
The court scheme aims to work closely with farmers and landowners to reduce plastic waste in these rivers and to help conserved species such as salmon, lamprey and otters thrive.
NRW is leading the initiative in partnership with Agricultural Plastic Environment (APE), Birch Farm Plastics and Aphonid Shimru.
“We’ve been working hard to get the better of our customers,” said Ian Creasey of APE. “Learning from successful markets in Europe is a key focus of this exam, as “drop-off centres” have helped significantly recycle plastics on used farms.
“The scheme is dedicated to helping farmers recycle agricultural plastics and in doing so will help protect these rivers from potential plastic pollution.”
According to the 2023 Wrap Report, the UK’s agricultural plastic recycling rate is currently 20-30%, significantly lower than the rates in countries such as Germany, France and Ireland, boasting recycling rates of 65%, 80% and 90% respectively.
In 2024, the West Wales Rivers Trust surveyed 100 farms in Carmarthenshire and Wales to assess the disposal practices of agricultural plastics. Costs have been identified as a major barrier to recycling for many farmers.
Cheryl Birch of Birch Farm Plastics commented: “We aim to speed up the recycling of agricultural polyethylene, and through our collaboration with Four Rivers for Life and Ape, we will use our services to provide farmers with low-cost options.
“The cost of collecting from drop-off centres is low, so we can also pass that savings to farmers for the farmers and the environment, promoting waste plastic recycling options.”
Teifi, Tywi, Cleddau, and Usk Rivers recognize the international importance of wildlife such as Salmon, Lamprey, Shad, Otters, and Water Crowfoot.
