Photo credit: Cleanfarms Inc./Facebook.

By Curtis Galbraith

Agriculture

Farm plastics recycling program extended

Dec 18, 2025 | 5:07 PM

The provincial government has agreed to renew funding and extend by two years the Alberta Ag-Plastic Recycle It! pilot program.

Drop-offs that collect things like twine and grain bags are set up around the province.

A news release says this new funding will allow the program to expand to include bale wrap and silage plastic. Officials estimate that 3350 tonnes of these are used every year.

The program launched in 2019. Since then, 4.9 million kilograms of plastic have been collected.

The release says that works out to 38 semi-trailers full of twine, enough for 1.8 million big bales, along with 260 semi-trailers full of grain bags.

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The new funding will also allow for a second round of the Great Twine Round-Up, where 4-H clubs and other groups can compete for prizes.

“Alberta Agriculture’s ongoing support of the pilot has allowed farmers to adopt more sustainable practices for plastic waste, while also helping to determine what an effective permanent program may look like,” says APRG chair Assar Grinde in that same release. “The pilot has had great success with grain bags, and we are excited to build on the huge growth in twine collection volumes over the past year.”