Manitoba will become the second Canadian jurisdiction with a provincially regulated agricultural plastics stewardship program and the first to include multiple designated materials.
Cleanfarms Inc. will operate the stewardship program on behalf of the agricultural industry and manage the collection and recycling of agricultural plastics. Manitoba producers will be able to drop off used grain bags and plastic baler twine at designated collection sites throughout the province without paying user fees at the points of collection. Cleanfarms will arrange for pickup, transportation and recycling of these materials from the collection sites.
Cleanfarms aims to capitalize on industry enthusiasm to launch the program that, like other stewardship programs, will be industry funded at no cost to the province. Like many other stewardship programs in Manitoba, this initiative will be supported through environmental handling fees included in the sale prices of program materials.
Manitoba remains one of the leading Canadian jurisdictions with 12 producer responsibility programs covering items such as household hazardous waste, electronics, pharmaceuticals and tires.