Agricultural Waste Plastics Collection and Recovery Programme

In late summer 2005, CIWM (EB) was invited by the Agricultural Waste Stakeholders Forum to assist in the development of a funding proposal to Defra to research Agricultural Waste Plastics (AWP) collection and recovery. This led to the granting of £1 million over 3 years from the BREW programme with CIWM (EB) being appointed as Project Manager.

The objective of the Programme was to identify best practice for the cost effective collection and recovery of agricultural waste plastics. The Programme would assist the Government’s development of a Producer Responsibility scheme for non-packaging farm plastics that might ultimately encourage the majority of all farm plastics to be collected and recovered. These goals were to be achieved through successful completion of a number of activities, including research into current collectors and reprocessors of farm plastics, trials to increase UK collection coverage and sustainability and the development of Good Practice Guides for farmers and collectors.

After an extensive EoI and tendering process, Valpak and ADAS were appointed in April 2006 to undertake the main body of the research work. The majority of field trials and research projects were completed in early 2007. The consultants’ final report was delivered on time and within budget end-September 2007. This document and associated cost models were viewed as confidential and not published in advance of Government’s public consultation on Producer Responsibility in this sector. All published documents can be found on The National Archives

An Advisory Group on Farm Plastics (AGFP) was set up in 2007 comprising representatives of Government, the Agencies, producers and importers of non-packaging farm plastics and the farming community. Discussion and review took place throughout 2008-09. CIWM (RPM) was retained for consistency of advice in the development of Impact Assessment and other documents released by Defra for public consultation in December 2009. In October 2010, Defra, along with the Welsh Assembly Government and the Scottish Government published the summary of responses to the consultation on a producer responsibility scheme for non-packaging agricultural plastics (NPAP) and announced their decision that they would not be proceeding with a statutory collection scheme. Details can be found here

link to Facts

Download Summary of Responses