Plastics Recycling Centre Opens In Lancashire

As part of its commitment to environmental sustainability the Duchy of Lancaster is keen to discourage single-use plastics on its farms and to promote recycling wherever possible across its estates. Last year we carried out an audit of our farming tenants to see what measures they had introduced to reduce the use of plastics on site and to encourage their responsible disposal. Now one Duchy tenant is working towards opening a new collection centre for farm plastics in partnership with specialist farm waste collection service FarmXS Ltd.

All plastic types, from silage wrap through to polypropylene string and hard plastic containers, will be collected at the new centre based at Hallidays Farm on the Duchy’s Myerscough estate in Lancashire.  FarmXS Ltd will then collect the waste and arrange for it to be disposed of responsibly.

Tenant farmer Andy Walling believes that the convenience of a single collection point will help to encourage local farmers to recycle more waste products: “While most farmers are doing their best to minimise plastics on their farms there are some components which are impossible to replace without a suitable alternative. Members also receive appropriate Waste Transfer Notes to demonstrate their compliance with the current regulations and satisfy statutory agencies that they are acting responsibly.”

Following collection the various plastic waste streams are segregated and compacted into bales with material then sold on to re-processing companies for recycling.

Duchy Head of Rural Christopher Sparrow added: “Plastic waste disposal is a growing headache for those looking to dispose of waste plastics responsibly rather than sending it to landfill. We are very pleased to support Andy in this new initiative to provide a regional collection point for FarmXS Ltd, a private business which provides farmers with an ethical and sustainable recycling service for all types of farm plastic and cardboard.

“This is totally aligned to our own environmental sustainability programme and we would encourage tenants to use the centre and dispose of all plastic waste responsibly.”

Waste Management Regulations introduced in 2006 banned the burning or burying of farm waste and farm plastic. Farmers have a legal duty to send their plastic waste for recycling or to a registered landfill site authorised by the Environment Agency. The Duchy has been keen to support this and other environmental initiatives designed to protect the countryside and maintain a wide range of diverse habitats for the indigenous flora and fauna.

Anyone wishing to access this service should contact Andy Walling at Hallidays Farm, Myerscough on 07710 815332. For further information on FarmXS Ltd, please visit www.farmxs.com.