Dive Brief:
- Netafim USA, an irrigation manufacturer based in Fowler, CA, operates the Recycling Grower Compensation Program, which offers free pickup and payment for used irrigation tubing from farmers in California.
- The company recycles polyethylene irrigation tubing, hoses, and tape at its Netafim Recycling Facility.
- To date, the recycling program has diverted over 30 million pounds of tubing from landfills since the program got its start in 2007. Over 100 million pounds of irrigation plastics are currently in use for agriculture at this time.
Dive Insight:
Netafim oversees the entire process at its Netafim Recycling Facility -- from evaluation and testing, to washing, grinding, and re-pelletizing. The finished material is used to make a recycled resin used in mining and landscaping products. The company says recycled materials are a a requirement for numerous sustainable building initiatives.
Agricultural recycling may be on the rise. In July 2013, a landfill in California began to recycle agricultural waste. The Yolo County Central landfill partnered with Encore Farming Solutions to increase sustainability practices for the plastics used in farming. And in April 2014, Vermont launched a pilot recycling program for dairy farmers.
