The Otter Tail County Solid Waste Department is expanding collection of film plastic for recycling to Wadena County at the end of June and Todd County in July. The expansions are thanks to a grant from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency.
A new front load packer truck will be servicing farms and boat storage facilities that produce film plastic waste. Agricultural plastic, boat wrap and other film plastics are a problem material due to the bulky nature of the waste, and the lack of convenient disposal options, according to an Otter Tail County news release.
With no practical option for recycling prior to the program that started in 2016 , most agricultural film plastic was either landfilled or illegally burned on site.
Otter Tail County collects approximately 220 tons of film plastic annually from farms and boat storage facilities for recycling, according to the release. With additional containers rolling out this summer and the dedicated collection route expanding to Todd and Wadena counties, the amount is expected to increase by over 30% over the next several years.
The collected film plastic is used by Revolution Bag, located in Arkansas, to make commercial trash bags with up to 94% post-consumer content.
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Program details:
- Larger generators of film plastic waste may be eligible for an on-site dumpster that will be serviced monthly.
- Smaller generators may be eligible for on-site recapture bags that can be filled with film plastic or dropped off at any transfer station in Otter Tail, Todd or Wadena counties.
- There is no charge for collection in any partner county for the initial 12 months of the grant program. Participation in the initial grant program does not obligate you to continue with the program.
Accepted materials:
- Silage plastic, bale wrap, bunker cover (no nylon mesh or reinforcements; no skrim)
- Boat film/wrap (cords and ropes cut off)
Not accepted:
- Mesh or scrim; webbing
- Ropes or cords
- Consumer film plastic (shopping bags)
If you are interested in participating in the program, contact Otter Tail County Solid Waste Department assistant director Zach Fjestad at 218-998-8950.
For more information about the program, visit
ottertailcountymn.us/content-page/film-plastic-collection/
.
