Every year for the past 32 years, Cleanfarms has calculated the rolling three-year average recycling rate of agricultural pesticide and fertilizer containers that are 23L and smaller. The great news is that the 2020 recycling rate just calculated shows another major surge in recycling these containers in 2020 at 76% compared to 71% in 2019. This sets an all-time record for recycling empty ag plastic jugs in Canada.

The recycling rate measures the percentage of containers collected for recycling compared to the number of containers sold into the market in that year. The three-year rolling average recovery rate evens out the rate over three years considering factors which could cause variations such as differing needs due to weather. The rolling average rate in 2018 was 64 per cent.

“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. 

Canadian farmers typically purchase crop input products such as fertilizers and pesticides in easy-to-handle 23L jugs. The crop protection industry started a volunteer stewardship program for empty containers in 1989. In 2010, Cleanfarms took over the program and expanded it nationally. Until four years ago, the recycling rate hovered annually between 60 per cent and 65 per cent.

Source:  Cleanfarms May 31, 2021 news release