Video: Why farm plastic collection prices are increasing for farmers
Farm plastic collections are well underway for the summer months, with many farmers taking the opportunity to get rid of winter accumulations of farm plastic, meal bags and silage netting.
Agriland attended a farm plastic recycling centre run by Smith's Farm Plastic Recycling and Agri contractors at Ballinagore GAA club in Co. Westmeath to gauge farmers' opinions on the new regulations and price structure.
Liam Moloney, general manager of the Irish Farm Film Producers Group (IFFPG) spoke to Agriland to explain its role at these bring centres, and why prices are increasing for farmers.
He said: "We collect around 40,000t of plastic every year at these bring centres, and that's the equivalent of plastic from around 20 million silage bales.
"We have a particular type of charging mechanism whereby the recycling levy makes up around 70% of our income, the collection charge we charge to farmers makes up the remaining 30%.
"We've gone with that model because it gives farmers an incentive to bring in cleaner plastic, so it encourages the farmer to remove contamination from the plastic."
Ronan Smith, owner of Smith's Farm Plastic Recycling and Agri Contractors highlighted what's involved in organising these bring centres.
He said: "Here today we probably have about eight different people doing different jobs, such as traffic management, weighing, operating machines and then two people on the ground sorting anything that shouldn't come in.
"Today, there'll probably come in about 150t of plastic, and farmers would have always come in with their six-digit code, but this year there's more of an emphasis on where they purchased their plastic.
"So they have to come in with their invoice; now a few farmers might come in with the six-digit number on the back of their hand and we can't accept that."
Some farmers feel they're being double charged with the current IFFPG cost structure. Agriland spoke to local farmer, Finnian Farrell to see how he felt about the current price of buying and recycling farm plastic.
He said: "It wasn't difficult to get the six-digit number, but it's something extra we have to do to comply with this new recycling process.
"We supply our own plastic, but the plastic is going up every year.
"We have to pay a levy when we're buying the plastic and then we have to pay to recycle it when we bring it to the recycling bank, so its a double whammy.
"I don't know any other products where people are being charged at both the purchasing end and at the disposal end, I feel it should either be one or the other."
Earlier this year the IFFPG confirmed to Agriland that the minimum charge at bring centres this year will be €60/0.5t.
In April of this year the IFFPG also outlined changes to its collections this year in order to "help curb the illegal farm plastics trade".
IFFPG said: "In terms of the illegal supply problem, it is very hard to quantity it with any degree of confidence.
"However, we would estimate that it is between 5-10% of the total market, with the problem more pronounced in the border region."
The changes stated that only farmers with a valid six-digit label code on proof of purchase (receipt/docket) from retailers (co-ops/merchants/contractors) will be charged at the standard €60/0.5t rate at bring centres this year.
Farmers who do not provide the label codes will be charged double, the IFFPG warned.
