RMCG report: Plastic waste in agriculture hits nearly 100,000 tonnes a year

Almost 100,000 tonnes of on-farm plastic rubbish is generated each year, with many producers searching for ways to reduce their waste.

Big agribusiness is ramping up efforts to reduce and recycle on-farm plastics, as new data shows Australia’s agriculture, fisheries and forestry sectors generated 9.8 million tonnes of pre-farmgate waste in 2021.

In good news, 9.5 million tonnes of the total was organic waste, 70 per cent of which was used beneficially on farm, according to research commissioned by AgriFutures and compiled by agriculture consultancy RMCG.

However, 99,753 tonnes of plastic waste was generated in 2021, with the horticulture sector responsible for the majority, at 63,228 tonnes.

RMCG principal Dr Anne-Maree Boland said the figures were calculated through a two-year project aiming to quantify the problem, and help industry develop strategies to reduce waste in collaboration with producers.

“The plastic story is we have about 100,000 tonnes per annum that needs to be recycled, but we don’t have the infrastructure in place to do so at the moment,” Dr Boland said.

“Of plastic waste, about 70 per cent is from horticulture because of the intensive nature of the sector. And the largest ones are protective cropping plastics, irrigation plastics and then netting is becoming a larger volume as well.”

She said the project included interviews with 200 individual farmers, with the overriding sentiment that producers wanted to understand how they could reduce or reuse plastics while maintaining their enterprise’s productivity.

Stahmann Webster’s Trawalla pecan farm at Moree in NSW.

Global nut-farming giant Stahmann Webster, which grows pecans, macadamias, walnuts and almonds across Queensland, NSW, Victoria and Tasmania, has been working with irrigation and precision agriculture company Netafim for the past two years to recycle plastic irrigation tape used in its orchards.

Stahmann Webster head of ESG and sustainability Steve Mackinlay said taking part in Netafim’s “Recoil” program had become an integral part of the company’s sustainability framework.

“I think you have to be ahead of the curve on this type of stuff,” Mr Mackinlay said.

“There is a life cycle to that irrigation tape.

“We’ve been growing nuts in Australia for 50 years, so you can imagine how much of that can build up.

“The opportunity to have a partnership with Netafim, who are offering a service of baling it up and recycling it; that is a great story. The impetus is to adhere to what we are trying to do with regards to sustainability.”

Irrigation systems, including drip pipes used in greenhouses and plastic irrigation tape used in orchards, must be replaced and results in waste that is challenging to recycle.

Netafim director of services Peter Durand said the Recoil program was established 15 years ago because the company saw a need for an end-of-life solution for its plastic irrigation tape.

It provides recoiling machines at a nominal hire rate to growers, who then recoil and store the irrigation tape on farm. Netafim then arranges transport of the tape to a recycling centre.

“Probably the most unique part is that we’ve worked with two recycling processors who are able to process the material to a level that can be used back into our production facility,” Mr Durand said. “So it is a closed loop.”

While growers have to pay to cover transport and machine hire to participate in the program, Mr Mackinlay said the benefits outweighed the costs.

Mr Durand said the program had particularly good uptake by the corporate farming market.

“They recognise they have a duty to their shareholders and ESG requirements; they need a solution to this,” he said.

“We also deal with really small growers in small winegrowing regions who just want to do the right thing.”