Reuse of Fertiliser Bags

[ohareward]

Ashburton Wastebusters is saving on landfill and air polluting fires by recycling polypropylene sacks into vineyard covers and windbreak cloth.
Wastebusters general manager Sheryl Stivens says the woven plastic sacks, which are used to package animal feed and fertiliser, are high quality, yet are usually destroyed or discarded after only one use. "Some farmers use up to 150 of these bags a week or three to four truckloads a month. It takes up a lot of space in landfills, or, if it's burnt, contributes hugely to air pollution," she says.
In what may be the first for NZ, Ashburton Wastebusters is accepting clean sacks to be baled and transported to recycling processors overseas. Sheryl spent months looking for a market for the plastic sacks before finding several overseas markets that recycle them into vineyard covers and windbreak cloths, and even lining for new houses (instead of building paper).

Robin

[Stonehead]

Ashburton Wastebusters is saving on landfill and air polluting fires by recycling polypropylene sacks into vineyard covers and windbreak cloth.
Wastebusters general manager Sheryl Stivens says the woven plastic sacks, which are used to package animal feed and fertiliser, are high quality, yet are usually destroyed or discarded after only one use. "Some farmers use up to 150 of these bags a week or three to four truckloads a month. It takes up a lot of space in landfills, or, if it's burnt, contributes hugely to air pollution," she says.
In what may be the first for NZ, Ashburton Wastebusters is accepting clean sacks to be baled and transported to recycling processors overseas. Sheryl spent months looking for a market for the plastic sacks before finding several overseas markets that recycle them into vineyard covers and windbreak cloths, and even lining for new houses (instead of building paper).

Robin

This is a big problem for us. While some animal feed comes in brown paper sacks, a lot comes in plastic sacks and it's often difficult to find the right feed bagged in paper.

At the same time, the council wants to charge us commercial fees if we take the plastic sacks for recycling. We're not a commercial farm and can't afford their fees.

We do re-use the plastic sacks but you eventually start piling up more sacks than you can use.

We've also suggest to various suppliers that they use paper more, but their reply is that plastic is cheaper and repels water.

Ironically, the latest government animal feed regulations mean we'll be forced to buy more feed in plastic bags. We had bought barley direct from a farmer, who supplied our feed in recycled paper bags.

But the new feed regulations have seen him decide to stop supplying feed direct as it would be too expensive and complicated for him to meet all the labelling and analysis requirements.

So, that means buying from a feed merchant who sells barley in plastic sacks. It also means we pay more for the barley, while the farmer receives less.

It's all a big mess.

[ina]

Ironically, the latest government animal feed regulations mean we'll be forced to buy more feed in plastic bags. We had bought barley direct from a farmer, who supplied our feed in recycled paper bags.

But the new feed regulations have seen him decide to stop supplying feed direct as it would be too expensive and complicated for him to meet all the labelling and analysis requirements.

That's the first I hear about that - do you have any more information on it? I buy my barley from a friend - well, I only need very little for my two goats, but still - I suppose theoretically she won't be able to supply my needs anymore in future!

You are quite right - it's a mess. Here on the farm they send the plastic bags for recycling; it costs £25 for a large bag full (that's about the size of a ton bag). Fortunately most feed is bought in bulk nowadays, so we don't actually have that many bags left - and I also always try to give them away to folk who might have a use for them in the garden etc. (Plastic bag anybody? Or baling twine, while we are at it?)

[Stonehead]

That's the first I hear about that - do you have any more information on it? I buy my barley from a friend - well, I only need very little for my two goats, but still - I suppose theoretically she won't be able to supply my needs anymore in future!

You should be all right as the regulations (in Scotland, it's the Feed (Hygiene and Enforcement) (Scotland) Regulations 2005) exempt the direct supply of small quantities of primary production of feed at local level by a producer to local farms for use on those farms and also the direct supply, by the producer, of small quantities of primary products to local establishments directly supplying the final consumer (eg farms). Small quantities is not specified in the law, but both SEERAD and Defra point to the 1970 Agriculture Act which provided an exemption of 25kg (so one bag of feed).

As I buy upwards of 1.25 tonnes every two months, I'm not getting small quantities.

If you've bought livestock feed from a farm shop you may have noticed they are now requiring you provide your name and address, and show proof to verify it. That's part of the same legislation.

The regulations went through in 2005, were supposed to come into effect on January 1, 2006, but are only now starting to take effect as Defra, SEERAD and local councils start getting their act together and telling people what they have to do.

All feed businesses previously registered under the previous Establishments and Intermediaries regulations had to comply from 1 January 2006. Businesses not previously covered by the registration requirement have until 1 January 2008 to comply.

It is also a legal requirement that all feeds are sourced from registered and/or approved establishments. So you may get caught on this one if your friend is not a registered or approved establishment.

What I only found out recently, from the Animal Welfare Officer, is that our croft now has to be registered with Trading Standards as well as SEERAD etc. That's because the 2005 regulations require farms and businesses to register if they:

• Manufacture animal feeds
• Market animal feeds
• Import animal feeds
• Store animal feeds
• Transport animal feeds
• Sell co-products of the food industry as feeds
• Carry out on-farm mixing
• Feed food-producing animals
• Grow crops to be used as animal feeds
• Carry out other controlled activities

The bold ones are the ones that apply to us.

As well as that, all feed has to be labelled with its composition so that means getting it tested. I'm still not sure if that applies to feed produced on your own holding and fed to your own animals - SEERAD is yet to get back to me on that one.

Aberdeenshire Council's very basic explanation of what's required can be found here. Note that some existing registration schemes mean you don't need to register with Trading Standards, but the advice so far is that we do.

[red]

I've seen feed sacks successfully freecycled

[possum]

Hmm, that has got me thinking, we get a bag of chook feed every couple of months, I have never thought what to do with the bag
It probably wont be worth the energy or expense to take them to a special recycling place, but certainly worth thinking about how to reuse them

[Stonehead]

I've seen feed sacks successfully freecycled

I've given up on Freecycle, but when I was using it I had no takers for feed bags (nor for a good quality cot, an old but working Palm V, good quality children's and baby clothes, and various other things).

[Thurston Garden]

Freecycle works well here - we are on both East Lothian and Berwickshire. A full set of 7.50R16 wheels for my Landy was the best yet. Almost gave away a static caravan but the 'cycler was too far and it's too old to stand the transport

Our pig feed is bought from a farmer who buys in bulk from Rosslyn Institute - they now have a feed mill and produce their own organic feed. We reuse our hen feed plastic bags to cart the pig feed in. Some are also given to the farmer to reuse as he buys most feed in tonne bags. Much smaller scale than Stonehead mind!

Other plastic feed bags are given to neighbours to cart firewood in, but they still mount up!

I have also been refused recycling by the council "because you have a commercial vehicle" That was a commercial vehicle carrying paper, cans and plastic milk bottles "from your canteen"

[the.fee.fairy]

Have a go in 101 uses for...

I use sacks like that for potatoes, and for stroing my own compost in/growing mushrooms in etc.

[Shirley]

Have a go in 101 uses for...

Good idea!

[Stonehead]

Have a go in 101 uses for...

I use sacks like that for potatoes, and for stroing my own compost in/growing mushrooms in etc.

We do the use the plastic sacks for a zillion and one things, but they still pile up faster than we can use them. With the brown paper sacks, if there are too many after we've used them for other purposes we either layer them into the compost heap or use them for weed suppression around saplings (five to 10 layers of paper, then a layer of chipped bark).

[ina]

If you've bought livestock feed from a farm shop you may have noticed they are now requiring you provide your name and address, and show proof to verify it. That's part of the same legislation.

Bloody hell - what do they think we'd do with the feed if we aren't controlled like that - eat it ourselves? And what if I buy, for example, seaweed meal not to feed to my goats, but for the garden (I use it for both)???

It is also a legal requirement that all feeds are sourced from registered and/or approved establishments. So you may get caught on this one if your friend is not a registered or approved establishment.

Should be OK on that one - they only produce feed barley (apart from sheep and goats).

This regulation malarky is going a bit far, methinks. I'm all for sensible regulations, but... For small crofts and farms, isn't this all a bit OTT?

[Stonehead]

Bloody hell - what do they think we'd do with the feed if we aren't controlled like that - eat it ourselves? And what if I buy, for example, seaweed meal not to feed to my goats, but for the garden (I use it for both)???

This is what a Trading Standards officer said in an email to me today:

I agree that there are so many regulations nowadays that farmers need to comply with. The Feed Hygiene regulation is intended to ensure that people involved in the use and production of feed take all appropriate steps to control potential feed hazards which could lead to a potential food crisis.

Yes, the only way to keep us all safe is to bring in more regulations. It's for our own good after all. Sigh.

[Thurston Garden]

Yes, the only way to keep us all safe is to bring in more regulations. It's for our own good after all. Sigh.

Cynical ole me thinks that the primary role of increasing regulations (and therefore paperwork) is so it is much easier to finger the blame on someone. It's one of the reasons I stopped managing commercial property - I was a desktop surveyor, a bit like farmers/smallholders spending increasingly more time finding out about legislation and filling in forms.

I have done lots of research into the Estate to which our house was a gate lodge. The Estate provided everything the Big House needed, in addition to the tenant farmers and the workforce who either lived in tied cottages or in the village (which was owned by the Estate primarily). Regulations were almost unheard of, but Good Husbandry was paramount. The likes of F&M/BSE were unthinkable. Sadly, it's European/Government insistence on Regulation after Regulation that puts the small producers out of business, and with him/her goes Good Husbandry. Bit of a vicious circle? (Sorry that's right off the thread now!)

[Stonehead]

Bloody hell - what do they think we'd do with the feed if we aren't controlled like that - eat it ourselves?

Shhhhh! We turn some of our barley into beer and barley wine...