Elders is now a proud member of the Big Bag Recovery (BBR) plastic bag stewardship program, facilitating the recycling of plastic bags from the rural products supply chain.
Elders is now a proud member of the Big Bag Recovery (BBR) plastic bag stewardship program, facilitating the recycling of plastic bags from the rural products supply chain.
This membership allows Elders to maintain the circularity of plastic packaging associated with its products including Titan AG, Apparent, iO and EPG Seeds. Elders’ branches will also have the opportunity to become collection points for customers to drop off agricultural plastic bags eligible for recovery.
BBR is an Australian government-accredited stewardship scheme for the collection and recycling of large bulk plastic bags (over 15 kilograms or litres of contents including Bulk Bags). The scheme facilitates the sustainable management of plastic sacks and bulk bags through an Australia-wide collector network who collect, bale, and transport bulk bags to contracted processors and soon to be commissioned Circular Communities Australia facility in Toowoomba Qld, the sister company to Big Bag Recovery.
Bags are converted into resin pellets which are processed by manufacturers into 100% recoverable and recyclable products (for example, plant pots, paint pots and concrete spacers).
The membership to BBR is the latest in a range of waste management initiatives at Elders, with drums and intermediate bulk containers already recycled by branches or collected by drumMUSTER.
Executive General Manager Sustainability, Strategy and Innovation Anna Bennett said Elders is very much committed to supporting the sustainability of the agriculture sector for generations to come.
“Effective waste management is essential to ensuring the health, safety, productivity and marketability of Australian agribusiness, and this is a much-needed initiative we are proud to support,” Ms Bennett said.
“We look forward to working alongside Big Bag Recovery to create a positive impact by maximising the recovery and recycling of bulk bags.
“Each year, the rural products supply chain is one of the largest contributors to waste in the agriculture industry. Our relationship with BBR will go a long way in minimising waste generated by the sector and reducing the environmental impacts of our rural products business, in line with Elders’ Waste Management Strategy.
Elders Ayr and Tolga already operate as collection points, and over the last two years, have collected over 10 tonnes of bulk bags for recycling. Customers wanting to recycle their big bags through the program can ring BBR on 1800 958 333 to find their nearest collection point, or organise an on-farm pick up, at no cost.