| | Recycling options are increasing across Alberta. “Many communities in Alberta now have recycling facilities and in most cases these are drop-off facilities,” says Dave Whitfield, a Waste Reduction Specialist with Alberta Environment. As well, the range of materials that can be recycled is growing. For instance, Alberta’s electronics recycling program was launched in 2004, the first such program in Canada, and now several pilot programs for recycling agricultural plastics are underway.
Along with reducing and reusing, recycling helps to reduce landfill costs, conserve resources, and protect the environment from potentially harmful substances in the wastes. Whitfield says, “For many years burning barrels have been used as a way to handle wastes on the farm. However, some common wastes are not suitable for burning, for example, plastics. Plastics are prohibited debris – it’s against the law to burn them – because of the health hazard and the environmental problems caused when they are burned in anything other than an approved incinerator. It’s a much better solution to recycle.”
Whitfield suggests setting up a simple system to handle recyclables in your home. On the Whitfields’ farm, they have a set of stackable bins for dry recyclables like paper, glass and cans, and they take them to the recycling facilities every few weeks. To handle food wastes, they have two anaerobic composters. These plastic, cone-shaped composters are partially dug into the ground and have sealed lids so coyotes and other wildlife can’t get at the wastes.
Whitfield is excited about a new recycling opportunity. “Just in the past few months, markets have emerged in China for recycling agricultural plastics. We’ve been trying to find a solution for these plastics for years. Now for the first time we have a home for baler twine, silage wrap, mineral bags and other plastics.” He adds, “Agricultural plastic presents some challenges as far as collecting and handling it and getting it in a form that can be sent to China. [So] right now it’s at the pilot phase. For example, the M.D. of Rocky View, Newell Recycling in Brooks, and the Mountain View Regional Waste Commission are all looking at different ways of handling it.” Instead of being a barrier to recycling, the hay and straw that are sometimes attached to such plastics will be used in China for livestock feed.Facilities for recycling a wide array of materials are located throughout Alberta. For information on local facilities:
- for plastic, paper, cardboard, metal, used oil, beverage containers and other items, call the Recycling Information Line at 1-800-463-6326
- for empty and rinsed non-returnable plastic and metal pesticide containers, contact your Agricultural Fieldman
- for tires and for TVs, computers and related electronics, visit www.albertarecycling.ca or call 1-888-999-8762
Disposing of animal health care wastes
Proper disposal of farm animal health care products is important to prevent risks to human health, animal health and/or the environment. Since there are currently no province-wide programs that accept animal heath care products from farms for convenient disposal, producers will need to check out the options in their own area.
The first step, of course, is to try to reduce wastes by: following veterinary advice for using pharmaceuticals wisely; following the storage recommendations on the product’s label; and purchasing just enough product for the intended use.
Dr. Joe Kendall, a Veterinary Toxicologist with Alberta Agriculture, Food and Rural Development, outlines practices for disposing of veterinary medicines. He says, “If the products are unopened, the company that manufactures the product will take them back, whether they are still in date or out of date.”
He notes, “If the products have been opened, then the veterinarian or a local hospital might take them. However, they are not required to take them. So producers would have to ask first to see whether they will accept them.” If these disposal options are not available, then producers can contact a licensed landfill or hazardous waste facility to find out the proper disposal procedures for the particular product.
Sharps should be placed in a rigid, puncture-proof container with a secure lid. These containers can be obtained at many veterinary clinics. The containers should be labelled as “sharps, not for recycling” before disposal. Sharps are not accepted at landfills regulated by Alberta Environment, unless decontaminated and medically shredded. Contact your regional health authority for directions on the proper disposal of sharps
If you have a large feedlot, the incineration facilities at Wainwright (call 1-800-563-2466) and Beiseker (call 403-947-2900 or 780-444-7133) can accept some types of animal health care wastes, if properly packaged.
Each spring, 4-H has collection programs for empty Dectomax and Ivomec containers. For details about these and other 4-H recycling programs, go to www.4h.ab.ca or call 1-877-682-2153.
For more information, refer to the Beneficial Management Practices manuals (available at www.agric.gov.ab.ca) or participate in the Environmental Farm Plan process (call 1-866-844-2337 or visit www.AlbertaEFP.com). |
|