“Canadian farmers deserve huge credit for these unparalleled results,” said Cleanfarms Executive Director Barry Friesen. “They are bringing back rinsed, empty containers in increasing numbers year over year, which means more of these ag plastic jugs are getting recycled into new products in a circular economy.”.

In total, farmers returned more than 5.5 million pesticide and fertilizer jugs 23L and smaller in 2020. Placed end to end, that number of containers collected in one year would stretch from Montreal, Quebec to Brandon, Manitoba.

In addition to farmers, Cleanfarms attributes the increased recycling rate to the more than 1,200 ag-retail and municipal operations across the country that run recycling collection sites and work with farmers to return empty, rinsed containers.

Cleanfarms is also developing incentive programs like free recycling collection bags that make it easier for farmers to collect, store and transport empty containers.

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