Recycling Agricultural Plastics Project (RAPP) Life -Cycle Stewardship of Agricultural Plastics Major funding for RAPP is currently from the NYS Environmental Protection Fun administered by the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (NYDEC). Funding has also come from the NY Farm Viability Institute, Cornell Cooperative Extension Administration, US EPA Region II, USDA Rural Development, and Cornell Department of Communication, with invaluable in-kind contributions from RAPP partners.

Chenango County Farms over 70 dairy farms average plastic wrap weighs lbs. Smaller farms produce > 1,000 lbs. agricultural plastics/year Note: larger farms using more plastic would produce more

What falls under the agricultural plastics umbrella? bale wrap silage and grain bags bunker silo covers bale netting Polytwine feed and pellet bags irrigation tubing drip tape maple tubing green and hoophouse covers nursery pots and seedling trays mulch and fumigation films Tarps Netting rigid containers bee hive frames

Why is Ag Plastics Recycling Different? Most plastics from farms are dirty, bulky, dispersed across a rural landscape and may have residues Photos: Lois Levitan, RAPP

What is the Recycling Agricultural Plastics Project (RAPP)? RAPP is a program based at Cornell University which works with local CCE educators to aid in the proper recycling of agricultural plastics

What is the Recycling Agricultural Plastics Project (RAPP)? Since 2009, RAPP has coordinated the collection of nearly 1 million pounds of used plastic that would otherwise be sent to landfills, burned in open fires on farms or left behind in the fields. Photo from: The Post Standard

What is the Recycling Agricultural Plastics Project (RAPP)? RAPP currently collaborates with numerous agencies, organizations, businesses and farmers across NY to recycle plastics into sidewalk pavers, plastic lumber, oil and other products! Baleboard ® North Brook Farms, Inc

How NYS Ag Plastics Recycling Works RAPP, CCE, SWCD, waste managements and other recycling agencies and businesses work together to help spread the recycling message, teach best management practices and carry out the collection of the plastic With farm staff assisting with loading the baler and RAPP operating it, 1000 pounds of film can be compacted into a bale in about 30 minuets. Finished bales are accumulated locally and then move to market

Ag Plastics Recycling with RAPP

What RAPP Does On-farm education: preparing plastic for recycling, incorporating recycling into farm routine, operating compaction equipment Cultivate market options appropriate for agricultural plastics feedstock Encourage behavior change: STOP on-farm disposal START recycling Develop infrastructure: Streamline logistics of moving from farms to new end products. Extended producer: responsibility among agricultural plastic manufacturers & distributors Levitan, Lois, Cornell University 2012

On the Farm Education Preparing plastic for recycling (BMP) Incorporating recycling into the farm routine – Lets make this more of a habit than a hassle Operate compaction equipment

Promote Recycling (end on-farm disposal) Open burning restrictions  strong motivator to recycle – Almost impossible to enforce on 2 million farms across the US A change in ‘Cultural climate’ – Recycling is less hassle and a lower cost than alternatives Seeing is believing – People what to know where the plastic goes and what it becomes

BMP Keep plastic dry and shake out any pebbles/clumps Roll or fold the plastic into 3’x 3’ pillows or bundles Store the plastic off the ground, out of mud, gravel and grit Separate different types of plastic by color and type

What I Have been asked to do as a RAPP educator Act as an outreach to farms that wish to participate and find farms that produce ag plastics throughout the county Educate individual farms about the BMPs and what happens to the recycled plastics and develop a BMP for their individual farm Photo courtesy of Cornell RAPP

What I Have been asked to do as a RAPP educator Find the location and demographics of farming in Chenango and Broome Counties – Type of agriculture, location, amount of plastic used

What I Have been asked to do as a RAPP educator Identify events where a RAPP display would be appropriate and effective Identify and post RAPP publicity materials Identify and outreach to our target audience through local news Photo courtesy of Cornell RAPP

What I Have been asked to do as a RAPP educator identify good locations for storage of finished bales – places where farmers can easily bring the bales but where dumping of junk plastic would be difficult.

How you can help Talk about the program to people you know and meet Recruit participants Distribute update fliers Make connections

What you need to know RAPP offers an alternative RAPP can help recycle agricultural plastics Each farm needs its own BMP to be successful Bigfoot Baler in action recycling_of_agricultural_plas.html

Your Local Contact Emily Jane Anderson Chenango County CCE 99 North Broad Street Norwich, NY ex. 17