Susan O’Regan says the One stop Shop offers a “great chance” to farmers.
Waipā farmers and growers are being given an opportunity to dispose of unwanted chemicals, used oil and scrap metal.
They can register for a free One-Stop Shop, to be opened in the district for the first time by Waipā District Council., working with non-profit rural waste stewardship organisation Agrecovery.
Items which qualify for the drop off include polypropylene bags for packaging feed, seed and fertiliser and agricultural chemical containers, drums and intermediate bulk containers (IBCs).
Recyclable items will be turned into useful products in New Zealand, with any leftover products disposed of safely.
Waipā councillor and Te Awamutu dairy farmer Susan O’Regan said the event would be a great chance for farmers to deal with farm waste in an efficient, safe and managed way.
“I’ve been along to a similar One-Stop Shop event in Matamata and it was great to see farmers and growers dealing with waste in one go.
“This is the first time the One-Stop Shop has come to Waipā, so I would encourage local farmers and growers to register early to make the most of this awesome opportunity.”
O’Regan said the event would enable the agriculture sector to dispose of a portion of the waste it produces in a sustainable way.
“We have to ensure farm waste is recovered and reused and doesn’t end up in landfills or being burned – it is part of our duty as farmers and growers who care for their land.”
Agrecovery held nine One-Stop Shop events around New Zealand in 2020.
It collected over 6795kg of plastic from agrichemical containers and drums, 6594kg of waste oil and 5628kg of chemicals.
The events are an extension of the Rural Waste Minimisation Project, designed to tackle some of the barriers to recycling New Zealand’s rural communities face and raise awareness of recycling options for farmers and growers.
The programme is part-funded by the Ministry for Environment’s Waste Minimisation Fund.
Agrecovery operations advisor Felicity Mitchell said the event will be carefully managed, with attendance limited.
The One-Stop Shop is in Cambridge on February 16.
Farmers and growers can register and find out more about preparing material for drop off by visiting www.agrecovery.co.nz.
