study to recycle gricultural plastics … assessment –“test bale ... per year for full service,...

STUDY TO RECYCLE

AGRICULTURAL PLASTICS IN

NEW MEXICO

Funded by the NMED: RAID Grant in

Partnership with Estancia Valley SWA

Sarah Pierpont

Executive Director, NMRC

[email protected]

505-603-0558

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mailto:[email protected]

Agricultural Plastic Recycling in NM

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• Identify Composition of Ag Plastic in NM

• Determine Quantities of Ag Plastic

• Identify Challenges to Recycling

• Assess Feasibility

• Research Potential End Markets

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Farms in New Mexico

Source: USDA 2012 Census of Agriculture

• 24,721 farms and ranches in

NM, an 18% increase from the

previous census in 2007

• 43,200,000 acres of

farm/ranch-land in NM (67,500

square miles NM is 121,697

square miles)

• Annual Market Value of

Agricultural products sold $2.5

billion

• Nearly half of that is from dairy

sales

• Approx 157 dairy farms

• $1.22 billion in sales

Areas with highest percentage of milk cows as

percent of all cattle

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Feeding NM’s Dairy Cows is Big Business

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• One milk-producing cow consumes 50-90 lbs of silage per day

• 7500-13500 TONS of silage consumed in NM per day

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Dairy Silage • Plastic film is used to create an anaerobic

environment to ferment silage for dairy cow feed

• Silage sheets are 5mm thick and made of co-

extruded low density polyethylene (LDPE) with a small % of Linear LDPE (LLDPE)

added for flexibility• Currently many farmers are burying the

material on their property or paying to take it

to the landfill

Acres of Corn Silage or Greenchop Harvested as

a Percent of Total Acres of Harvested Crops

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• 75,000 harvested acres of silage production in NM, yields of 23-32

tons/acre = 1,725,000 tons of silage per year

• 6.2 square feet of silage film used

per ton• 10.7 million square feet of

silage film used in NM annually = 350,000 lbs of film,

conservative estimate

Volume Estimate of Silage in NM

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• Nationally estimate 4-5 lbs of agricultural plastic film per cow per year = would equal 1.2 million lbs of film in New Mexico

• Difference could be how silage is “put-up” differently in each state

“Hay Wraps” in Wisconsin Bunker Cover Silage pile – used in NM

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Livestock Nutritional Supplements• Used to provide additional nutrients to

dairy cattle, beef cattle, horses, sheep and goats during winter months (Sept –

May)

• Colored HDPE tubs• An average a ranch with 65 beef cows

and 4 horses uses about 50 tubs per year• 1.54 million cows, sheep and goats in NM

= approximately 1.1 million tubs per year

in NM (not including horses) • Currently reused on site or sent to landfill

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Pesticide and Fertilizer Concentrates• Currently triple rinsed and landfilled

• HDPE plastic (primarily clear)• Took 1850 acre farm about 10 years

to fill the container in photo.

• Average of 1 jug per 10 acres per year = 4.32 million HDPE jugs in NM

per year

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Drip Irrigation Tubing (+OCC & Organics!)• Greenhouse tubbing is cleaner than field

tubbing• Seasonal switch outs per year (Nov/Dec

& June/July)

• Consists of polyethylene tubes

Challenges

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• Dirty• Contaminants (tires, silage, different

films)• Low value plastic

• Lack of collection efficiencies

• Potentially toxic containers from pesticides/fertilizers

• Hard to consolidated• Labor expenses to make bales

• Material collection

Challenges – National Sword 2017

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• Updated version of China’s custom

policies, Green Fence from 2013

• Launched by China’s General

Administration of Customs (GAC)

• Targets imported waste, including

scrap plastics and electronics.

• The enforcement campaign is a

reflection of the Chinese

government’s plan to crack down

on recycling operations

which don’t have the proper controls and facilities and focuses on materials causing severe pollution because of improper recycling at ill-equipped facilities.

• The campaign is set to run for one year, however the policy may become the new standard

Challenges – National Sword 2017

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• Custom checks on all imported materials – quadrupling time btwn

purchase and consumption of recyclable materials

• Returned shipments to country of

origin (demurrage fees, etc)• Officials conducting inspections of

processing factories and have reportedly suspended operations

at facilities using improper water-

treatment processes.

Effects

• Many forwarding agents have suspended their operations due to the action.• Exposed smuggling activities that have led to dozens of arrests and confiscation

of over 22,000 tons of material. • China has been able to catch criminal activity that was being disguised through

imported waste.

• In NM 17% decrease in market price for natural HDPE from April to May of 2017

Feasibility Assessment – “Test Bale”

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Bale No. Full Bale? Weight (lbs)Baled Cubic

Yards

1 Yes 2,200 1.16

2 Yes 2,160 1.16

3 No 840 0.58

Totals 5,200 2.89

Volume reduction through baling is about a 10:1 ratio (i.e., approx 30 cubic yards loose was reduced to approx 2.9 cubic yards baled)


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Summary:• 3 bales were made from the plastic

with the Estancia Valley Solid Waste Authority’s manual horizontal bailer.

Each full bale took 60 minutes to

make with two staff members• A typical single-stream recyclable

bale takes approximately 10 minutes to make and weighs 1,200 pounds


• A typical cardboard bale takes approximately 20 minutes to make and weighs 1,200 pounds

• Estimated costs to process one 30 yard roll off container for test bale - $150 in labor + $46 in transportation (40 miles roundtrip) = $196 for the 3 test bales =

$75.38 per ton

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• The plastic fed into the baler in an acceptable manner. However, a large

time saving would be realized if the plastic was rolled into approximate 3 ft

diameter by 5 ft long rolls

• Different types of plastic sheeting cannot be economically separated at the landfill.

If end-markets require plastic separation, it must be done at the source and put

into separate containers.

Labor (2 staff for 3 hours)

Transportation (40 miles roundtrip) Total

Processing Cost Per

Ton

Test Bale $ 150.00 $ 46.00 $ 196.00 $ 75.38

Better Prepared at Source $ 75.00 $ 46.00 $ 121.00 $ 46.54

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Possible End-Markets – Silage Film

• Test bale taken to Friedman Recycling

• Revolution Plastics (Delta Plastics)

• Offers free agricultural and silage plastic recycling

with free on-farm collection in Minnesota, Wisconsin

and California

• NM would need to provide 3-5 million tons of plastic

per year for full service, smaller volumes for partial

service

• Possible regional partnership?

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Thousands of farmers and applicators nationwide participate in a free recycling programs. The Ag Container Recycling Council is fully funded by their member

companies and affiliates that formulate, produce, package and distribute crop protection and other pesticide products.

Possible End-Markets – HDPE

Fertilizer/Pesticide Containers

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Eligible Containers:• Rigid high density polyethylene (HDPE), 55 gallons and

smaller, that previously held EPA registered products utilized in Crop Protection, Specialty Pesticides and

Fertilizers and Pest Control Operators/Structural Pest

Control

Ineligible Containers:• Any container constructed of anything other than HDPE,

rotationally molded containers, mini-bulk, intermediate bulk containers (IBC), totes, and

• All containers that previously held products utilized in the

Consumer Home & Garden, Pest Control and Swimming Pool Maintenance markets

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Acceptable Not Acceptable

Container, thread, and lip are clean

Dried formulation on container

Handle and neck stained but clean

Dried formulation on thread

Inside stained but rinsed clean

Bottom is caked with dried residue

Inside is clean and dry Liquid residue in container



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As of March 22, 2017, End Use Products deemed acceptable are:

•Agriculture drain pipe

•Highway sign posts

•Highway and agricultural fence posts•Underground utility conduit

•Wire and cable spool (reel) flanges•Agro chemical composite IBC platforms

•Industrial pallets for ag chemical and seed

packaging•Rebar chairs

•Landscape edging



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Richard Marburger US Ag Recycling

979-505-7750 [email protected]

How can NM Farmers & Ranchers Participate?

HDPE Fertilizer/Pesticide Containers

mailto:[email protected]

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• HDPE #2 plastic, can be recycled with most curbside and drop off recycling

program in NM • Considerations – accommodate for

larger sized containers (bigger than a

laundry detergent bottle)• Educate people that they can be

recycled• Potential for reuse – set up on site

reuse area

Possible End-Markets – Livestock Nutritional

Supplement Containers

Agricultural Plastic Recycling in NM

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• Public/Private Partnership

• Hub & Spoke Regional Collections

• Product Stewardship

• Utilization of Existing Recycling Opportunities

• Education & Outreach

• Development of Local End Markets

study to recycle gricultural plastics … assessment –“test bale ... per year for full service,...

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