Farmers encouraged to register for first Waipā rural waste event
Farmers and growers in Waipā will have the opportunity to safely and sustainably dispose of farm waste – including old chemicals, used oil and scrap metal – at a rural waste recycling event next month.
The free event, known as the One-Stop Shop, will be held in the district for the first time by Waipā District Council in conjunction with non-profit rural waste stewardship organisation Agrecovery.
Items that can be dropped off for recycling and disposal also include polypropylene bags for packaging feed, seed and fertiliser and agricultural chemical containers, drums and intermediate bulk containers (IBCs).
Recyclable items will be turned into useful products within New Zealand, with any leftover products disposed of safely.
Waipā councillor and Te Awamutu dairy farmer Susan O’Regan said the event would be a great chance for farmers to deal with farm waste in an efficient, safe and managed way.
“I’ve been along to a similar One-Stop Shop event in Matamata and it was great to see farmers and growers dealing with waste in one go.
“This is the first time the One-Stop Shop has come to Waipā, so I would encourage local farmers and growers to register early to make the most of this awesome opportunity.”
O’Regan said the event would enable the agriculture sector to dispose of a portion of the waste it produces in a sustainable way.
“We have to ensure farm waste is recovered and reused and doesn’t end up in landfills or being burned - it is part of our duty as farmers and growers who care for their land.”
Agrecovery held nine One-Stop Shop events around New Zealand in 2020, collecting over 6795kg of plastic from agrichemical containers and drums, 6594kg of waste oil and 5628kg of chemicals.
The events are an extension of the Rural Waste Minimisation Project, designed to tackle some of the barriers to recycling New Zealand’s rural communities face and raise awareness of recycling options for farmers and growers.
The programme is part-funded by the Ministry for Environment’s Waste Minimisation Fund.
Agrecovery operations advisor Felicity Mitchell said the event will be carefully managed, with attendance limited.
“Spaces always fill up quickly once registration opens, so we encourage farmers and growers to register as soon as possible,” she said.
The One-Stop Shop is in Cambridge on Tuesday 16 February, with venue details sent to participants on registration.
Farmers and growers interested in registering and finding out more about preparing material for drop off should visit www.agrecovery.co.nz.
Items eligible for drop off include:
- Unused or unwanted agrichemicals
- Agricultural chemical containers, drums and IBCs
- Seed, feed and fertiliser bags (polypropylene bags)
- Waste oil
- Scrap metal