Grain bag recycling no longer available

Times Contributor

 

The grain bag recycling program for Wheatland County farmers has been cancelled after only one year.

A partnership was formed with the Green Acre Hutterite Colony, east of Strathmore, last year to recycle the bags and turn them into garbage bags. The colony stopped accepting the grain bag plastic for recycling because it was too much work, according to Wheatland County Councillor Don Vander Velde.

“It was just too much labour for them,” he said.

County council haven’t formally discussed administering a grain bag recycling, but it is certain such a program would be too expensive for the municipality to operate, according to Vander Velde.

However, the County is seeking another outfit to recycle the grain bag plastic. An organization from B.C. is slated to make a presentation to the council on the matter, but no date has been set yet.

Meanwhile, the County has to determine an accumulation point for the grain bags until a long-term solution is found, Vander Velde said.

Though much is “up in the air” the County will continue to work on the issue, Vander Velde said.