Cleanfarms moves recycling drop offs across Manitoba

WINNIPEG —  Cleanfarms says it is changing its recycling drop off locations in Manitoba where producers take empty 23L and smaller plastic pesticide and fertilizer containers.

The company explained that its recycling collection system is transitioning from sites at municipal transfer stations and landfill facilities to collecting empty Ag jugs at Manitoba agricultural retail operations.

Cleanfarms plans to fulfill its transition to the new recycling system over the next three years.  The first phase will commence with municipal collection sites that have had little or no containers dropped off for the past few years.

Cleanfarms executive director Barry Friesen said there are several reasons why the change to Ag retailers makes sense.

“Transitioning to a retail-based collection for the jug program shifts responsibility to accept empty containers from Manitoba municipalities to the ag industry, which harmonizes the collection system across Canada. In all other provinces except Manitoba and Alberta, we collect empty containers at Ag retailers,” said Friesen in a statement.

He also noted that collecting small Ag pesticide and fertilizer containers at Ag retailers makes recycling the empty containers more convenient for producers.

Currently, producers return empty bulk containers of 23L to 1000L drums and totes to Ag retailers, while they take smaller empty containers to municipal collection sites for recycling.

Friesen said another advantage of the revised drop off system is that when producers go to ag retailers to purchase crop input products, they can get a free large plastic bag that makes collecting, storing and transporting small empty containers easier. The bags hold about 45 empty containers each.