Ag Plastics: A Gem in the Rough

Can Wisconsin Afford to Ignore This Resource Any Longer?

Roger E. Springman, WDATCPPresented at Governor’s Blue Ribbon Commission

April 5, 2006

Use of Plastics in Agriculture:Dairy silage bags, tuber bags, bunker silo covers, bale wraps, bale net covers, irrigation drip tape, greenhouse covers, fumigation & mulch films, pesticide containers, dairy sanitizing chemicals, nursery pots, seedling trays, bee hive frames . .

Levitan 2002Levitan 2002

Levitan 2002

Amidon

Garthe 2003

Garthe 2003Garthe 2003

Plastic Use Is Increasing:Safer. Improves production efficiency. Costs less. Greater flexibility in management.

Garthe 2003

Clarvoe 2005

Gloria Rabinowitz

Levitan 2002

WI Ag Uses LOTS of Plastic

• 15,000 dairy farms• 2,000 to 4,000 specialty farms• 4,700 “greens industry” business

locations, (e.g. golf courses, nurseries, dealer sites, greenhouses

• 350 ag chemical dealer/distributor locations

• Dane County dairy est: 600,000 pounds • Statewide: 8 to 15 million lbs. per year?

Poor Plastics Mgt. Is:

• Creating environmental and aesthetic problems: dioxin/furan release at burning (milk contamination?), health nuisance, unsightly messes

• Wasting (burying) a VERY valuable and reusable resource: plastics can be recycled, burned in waste-to-energy operations AND (now) reclaimed into diesel fuel.

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From: US EPA, cited in Sources of Dioxins to the NY/NJ Harbor and Pollution Prevention Options. Gabriela Munoz, June 8 2005, NY/NJ Harbor Consortium

Open burning emits high levels of pollutants: particulates, heavy metals, as well as dioxins that deposit and enter the food chain

Trends in National Dioxin Emissions to Air

.

Photo: Lee Brown, JR Western Ag Plastics

Energy Value of Plastics

as Compared with Other Fuels & Wastes

Material Btu per Pound

Fuel Oil ~20,000Polyethylene (LDPE & HDPE) 19,900Polypropylene (PP) 19,850Rubber 10,900Coal (varies with type) 5,000-12,000Wood / Other Dry Vegetation 6,750Average Municipal Solid Waste 4,500

Several sources cited in Levitan et al 2005

PLASTOFUEL NUGGETSPhoto: Jim Garthe

Plastic is a Fuel and Energy Supply: Metric Ton = 190 gal. diesel or 8.5

megawatts electricity

• Yes, it can be recycled, BUT it can also provide fuel and energy.

• With fuel prices on a permanent rise and electric grid concerns, why would Wisconsin want to bury fuel or energy?

• Solutions for ag plastics can be applied to other plastics in Wisconsin.

Levitan 2005

Dairy Film Management Options

EcollegeY Garbage Bagshttp://www.ecollegey.com/

Island Plastics 2003

Trex Composite Lumber: post-industrial wood + post-consumer plastic

From Trex website

Levitan 2003

ASILOMAR DUNES, CALIFORNIATrex planks in foreground; wood in rear

Collecting Ag Plastics Requires True Commitment

• Dispersed at 1,000s of locations.• Normally small to modest amounts per site• Generators very busy, waste mgt. not a

primary concern.• Plastics often dirty or contaminated.• On-site collection solutions must be

convenient.

Solutions ARE Here, But . . .

• Recycling markets are driven by price, volume, and quality.

• To be a serious recycling player, you MUST guarantee enough volume of predictable quality.

• A challenge for agriculture without governmental assistance and/or cooperative endeavors.

• Fewer barriers appear present with energy and fuel options.

Solutions look like this:

GRANULATION

USAg Recycling

Northwest Ag Plastics

TRI-Rinse

ACRC Service Map

Western Ag Plastics

ACRC Pilot Project

2004 Contractors

Recommendations

• Convene ag plastic coordinating committee to get sectors together to see what cooperative /regional solutions are possible in WI.

• Sponsor one-day, plastics “summit” for all plastic generating sectors to explore statewide cooperative solutions, (i.e. how much energy or oil can WI keep within its borders?)

• Support pilot project to demonstrate “Big Foot” baling capability and promote ag plastics collection in Wisconsin.

• Fund Eastern WI, DNR-DATCP-Lake Counties Pilot Project to analyze existing ag plastic collection and recycling options.

Recommendations (cont’d)

• Conduct comprehensive assessment of current and emerging technologies for plastics processing (beneficial reuse) and their utility for WI conditions. Same effort should also review current marketing options for WI plastic by type.

• Survey ag plastic generating sectors per New York approach. Goals: identify volumes, types, on-site handling practices, and barriers to collection/participation.

References and Resources

• Wisconsin Sources: Brian Holmes, UW-Madison; Mike Turner, WI Fertilizer and Chemical Association; Brian Swingle, WI Green Industry Federation; AROW; WCSWMA; SHWEC-UWEX; DNR; DATCP

• Non-Wisconsin Sources: Rob Denny, Arrowchase; Lois Levitan; Environmental Risk Analysis Program-Cornell; Frank Hill, Waste-to-Fuels, Inc; Steve George, Northwest Ag Plastics; Arthur Amidon, American Plastics Council

Other References and Resources (cont’d)

• The Utilization of Flare Gas and Products from the Conversion of Waste Plastics to Oil to Create Electricity. Dr. Pat Hayes. 2005

• Recycling Agricultural Plastics in New York State. Lois Levitan and Ana Barros. 2003

• Reducing Dioxin Emissions by Recycling Agricultural Plastics: Creating a Viable Alternative to Open Burning. Lois Levitan. 2005

• Open Burning and Backyard Dumping. Report and Recommendations of the Stakeholder Steering Group, Oct. 2003. WDNR

A portal for resources about agricultural plastics recycling:

< http://environmentalrisk.cornell.edu/AgPlastics >

Special Thanks To:

• Lois Levitan, Environmental Risk Analysis Program-Cornell http://environmentalrisk.cornell.edu/AgPlastics

• Brian Holmes, Biological Systems Engineering Dept, UW-Madison http://bse.wisc.edu/

• Frank Hill, Waste-to-Fuels Inc. www.wastetofuel.com

• The Pesticide Stewardship Alliance http://www.tpsalliance.org