Department of Environment to offer free plastic sheeting service

The Department of the Environment is to head an effort to remove thousands of tonnes of unwanted plastic sheeting from Irish farms in Co. Offaly, starting on Monday, May 26th.

Farmers are being offered the free service. The problem has seen up to 23,000 tonnes of uncollected silage plastic build up on farms.
The Farm Relief Service is no longer able to gather the plastic on which farmers have already paid a disposal levy. This is partly because farm plastic has been coming into the State from the North where no levy is paid.
The imported sheeting is used to cover silage pits and wrap silage bales. It is not, however, eligible for free collection.

Farmers are thought to buy over 25,000 tonnes of plastic covering every year. In 2004, around 8,500 tonnes of plastic were recycled. This represented only 55 per cent of levied sheeting sold in that year.
Farmers who have paid a levy on plastic and who now have no collection service were annoyed when the Department of Environment decided to bring about a new levy. Before that, though, they will clear the backlog on a free scheme.