Farm Plastics

Under the Waste Management (Farm Plastics) Regulations 2001, Producers of farm plastics are legally required to provide a system for the collection and environmentally sound disposal of waste silage plastic film from farms in Ireland, in order to meet national recycling targets.

Farm Plastics Producers

Producers are defined in the Regulations as manufacturers or importers who supply plastic film to farms and the agri-business sector in Ireland, which is used for covering and wrapping silage.

All producers of silage plastic film must either:

• Operate a deposit and refund scheme for any farm plastics that they place on the market in Ireland, as well as registering with, and submitting reports to, every local authority in whose functional area they supply farm plastic,

Or

• Participate in a collection/recovery scheme operated by the Irish Farm Film Producers Group (IFFPG), which is the sole government approved body under the regulations.

Irish Farm Film Producers Group

The IFFPG is a not-for-profit company established by the farm plastics industry, which operates a scheme for the collection and disposal of waste farm plastic. The scheme is funded by levies charged to producers and by fees paid by farmers for the collection and disposal of silage plastics. Producers must pay a levy of €254 for every tonne of silage film plastic they supply to the market in Ireland.

The IFFPG offers a farmyard collection service for silage plastics, and also operates a national network of “Bring Centres” for farmers to return both silage plastics and other types of waste farm plastics, such as fertiliser bags, animal feed sacks, netting and twine.

Farmers seeking further information on farm plastics collection and disposal arrangements should phone the following Lo-Call number 1890 300 444, or access the IFFPG website. Producers wishing to register with the IFFPG should also access the website or telephone (01) 408 9966.