Identify Composition of Ag Plastic in NM Determine Quantities of Ag - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

S TUDY TO R ECYCLE A GRICULTURAL P LASTICS I N N EW M EXICO Funded by the NMED: RAID Grant in Partnership with Estancia Valley SWA Sarah Pierpont Executive Director, NMRC sarah@recyclenewmexico.com 505-603-0558 1

Agricultural Plastic Recycling in NM • Identify Composition of Ag Plastic in NM • Determine Quantities of Ag Plastic • Identify Challenges to Recycling • Assess Feasibility • Research Potential End Markets 2

Farms in New Mexico • 24,721 farms and ranches in NM, an 18% increase from the previous census in 2007 • 43,200,000 acres of farm/ranch-land in NM (67,500 square miles NM is 121,697 square miles) • Annual Market Value of Agricultural products sold $2.5 billion • Nearly half of that is from dairy sales • Approx 157 dairy farms • $1.22 billion in sales Source: USDA 2012 Census of Agriculture 3

Areas with highest percentage of milk cows as percent of all cattle 4

Feeding NM’s Dairy Cows is Big Business • One milk-producing cow consumes 50-90 lbs of silage per day • 7500-13500 TONS of silage consumed in NM per day 5

Dairy Silage • Plastic film is used to create an anaerobic environment to ferment silage for dairy cow feed • Silage sheets are 5mm thick and made of co- extruded low density polyethylene (LDPE) with a small % of Linear LDPE (LLDPE) added for flexibility • Currently many farmers are burying the material on their property or paying to take it to the landfill 6

Acres of Corn Silage or Greenchop Harvested as a Percent of Total Acres of Harvested Crops • 75,000 harvested acres of silage production in NM, yields of 23-32 tons/acre = 1,725,000 tons of silage per year • 6.2 square feet of silage film used per ton • 10.7 million square feet of silage film used in NM annually = 350,000 lbs of film, conservative estimate 7

Volume Estimate of Silage in NM • Nationally estimate 4-5 lbs of agricultural plastic film per cow per year = would equal 1.2 million lbs of film in New Mexico • Difference could be how silage is “put - up” differently in each state “Hay Wraps” in Wisconsin Bunker Cover Silage pile – used in NM 8

Livestock Nutritional Supplements • Used to provide additional nutrients to dairy cattle, beef cattle, horses, sheep and goats during winter months (Sept – May) • Colored HDPE tubs • An average a ranch with 65 beef cows and 4 horses uses about 50 tubs per year • 1.54 million cows, sheep and goats in NM = approximately 1.1 million tubs per year in NM (not including horses) • Currently reused on site or sent to landfill 9

Pesticide and Fertilizer Concentrates • Currently triple rinsed and landfilled • HDPE plastic (primarily clear) • Took 1850 acre farm about 10 years to fill the container in photo. • Average of 1 jug per 10 acres per year = 4.32 million HDPE jugs in NM per year 10

Drip Irrigation Tubing (+OCC & Organics!) • Greenhouse tubbing is cleaner than field tubbing • Seasonal switch outs per year (Nov/Dec & June/July) • Consists of polyethylene tubes 11

Challenges • Dirty • Contaminants (tires, silage, different films) • Low value plastic • Lack of collection efficiencies • Potentially toxic containers from pesticides/fertilizers • Hard to consolidated • Labor expenses to make bales • Material collection 12

Challenges – National Sword 2017 • Updated version of China’s custom policies, Green Fence from 2013 • Launched by China’s General Administration of Customs (GAC) • Targets imported waste, including scrap plastics and electronics. • The enforcement campaign is a reflection of the Chinese government’s plan to crack down on recycling operations which don’t have the proper controls and facilities and focuses on materials causing severe pollution because of improper recycling at ill-equipped facilities. • The campaign is set to run for one year, however the policy may become the new standard 13

Challenges – National Sword 2017 Effects • Custom checks on all imported materials – quadrupling time btwn purchase and consumption of recyclable materials • Returned shipments to country of origin (demurrage fees, etc) • Officials conducting inspections of processing factories and have reportedly suspended operations at facilities using improper water- treatment processes. • Many forwarding agents have suspended their operations due to the action. • Exposed smuggling activities that have led to dozens of arrests and confiscation of over 22,000 tons of material. • China has been able to catch criminal activity that was being disguised through imported waste. • In NM 17% decrease in market price for natural HDPE from April to May of 2017 14

Feasibility Assessment – “Test Bale” 15

Feasibility Assessment – “Test Bale” Baled Cubic Bale No. Full Bale? Weight (lbs) Yards 1 Yes 2,200 1.16 2 Yes 2,160 1.16 3 No 840 0.58 Totals 5,200 2.89 Volume reduction through baling is about a 10:1 ratio (i.e., approx 30 cubic yards loose was reduced to approx 2.9 cubic yards baled) 16

Feasibility Assessment – “Test Bale” Summary: • 3 bales were made from the plastic with the Estancia Valley Solid Waste Authority’s manual horizontal bailer. Each full bale took 60 minutes to make with two staff members • A typical single-stream recyclable bale takes approximately 10 minutes to make and weighs 1,200 pounds • A typical cardboard bale takes approximately 20 minutes to make and weighs 1,200 pounds • Estimated costs to process one 30 yard roll off container for test bale - $150 in labor + $46 in transportation (40 miles roundtrip) = $196 for the 3 test bales = $75.38 per ton 17

Feasibility Assessment – “Test Bale” • The plastic fed into the baler in an acceptable manner. However, a large time saving would be realized if the plastic was rolled into approximate 3 ft diameter by 5 ft long rolls • Different types of plastic sheeting cannot be economically separated at the landfill. If end-markets require plastic separation, it must be done at the source and put into separate containers. Processing Labor (2 staff for Transportation (40 Cost Per 3 hours) miles roundtrip) Total Ton Test Bale $ 150.00 $ 46.00 $ 196.00 $ 75.38 Better Prepared at Source $ 75.00 $ 46.00 $ 121.00 $ 46.54 18

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Possible End-Markets – Silage Film • T est bale taken to Friedman Recycling • Revolution Plastics (Delta Plastics) • Offers free agricultural and silage plastic recycling with free on-farm collection in Minnesota, Wisconsin and California • NM would need to provide 3-5 million tons of plastic per year for full service, smaller volumes for partial service • Possible regional partnership? 20

Possible End-Markets – HDPE Fertilizer/Pesticide Containers Thousands of farmers and applicators nationwide participate in a free recycling programs. The Ag Container Recycling Council is fully funded by their member companies and affiliates that formulate, produce, package and distribute crop protection and other pesticide products. 21

Possible End-Markets – HDPE Fertilizer/Pesticide Containers Eligible Containers: • Rigid high density polyethylene (HDPE), 55 gallons and smaller, that previously held EPA registered products utilized in Crop Protection, Specialty Pesticides and Fertilizers and Pest Control Operators/Structural Pest Control Ineligible Containers: • Any container constructed of anything other than HDPE, rotationally molded containers, mini-bulk, intermediate bulk containers (IBC), totes, and • All containers that previously held products utilized in the Consumer Home & Garden, Pest Control and Swimming Pool Maintenance markets 22

Possible End-Markets – HDPE Fertilizer/Pesticide Containers Acceptable Not Acceptable Container, thread, and lip are Dried formulation on clean container Handle and neck stained but Dried formulation on thread clean Inside stained but rinsed Bottom is caked with dried clean residue Inside is clean and dry Liquid residue in container 23

Possible End-Markets – HDPE Fertilizer/Pesticide Containers As of March 22, 2017, End Use Products deemed acceptable are: • Agriculture drain pipe • Highway sign posts • Highway and agricultural fence posts • Underground utility conduit • Wire and cable spool (reel) flanges • Agro chemical composite IBC platforms • Industrial pallets for ag chemical and seed packaging • Rebar chairs • Landscape edging 24

How can NM Farmers & Ranchers Participate? HDPE Fertilizer/Pesticide Containers Richard Marburger US Ag Recycling 979-505-7750 rwm8345@cvctx.com www.USAgrecycling.com 25

Possible End-Markets – Livestock Nutritional Supplement Containers • HDPE #2 plastic, can be recycled with most curbside and drop off recycling program in NM • Considerations – accommodate for larger sized containers (bigger than a laundry detergent bottle) • Educate people that they can be recycled • Potential for reuse – set up on site reuse area 26

Agricultural Plastic Recycling in NM • Public/Private Partnership • Hub & Spoke Regional Collections • Product Stewardship • Utilization of Existing Recycling Opportunities • Education & Outreach • Development of Local End Markets 27