Recycling Horticultural Films:
Handling and Marketing
Lois Levitan
Recycling Agricultural Plastics Program (RAPP)
Dept Communication • Cornell University • Ithaca NY 14853
MID-ATLANTIC FRUIT & VEGETABLE CONVENTION, SMALL FRUITS – JANUARY 29, 2015
My Objectives
• Convey that recycling horticultural film won’t
all be smooth sailing, but is do-able
• By end of talk, have a roomful of well
informed recycling enthusiasts
•
LEVITAN, CORNELL UNIVERSITY
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Topics
• What is recycling?
• Challenges to recycling horticultural plastics.
• Overcoming the challenges.
• Products made with
recycled horticultural
plastics. By whom?
• What I hope to learn
from growers.
LEVITAN, CORNELL UNIVERSITY
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LIFE CYCLE OF HORTICULTURAL FILM
Lois Levitan, PhD
Recycling Agricultural Plas cs Program (RAPP)
Cornell University, Ithaca NY 14853
December 2014
DUMP
or
OPEN
BUR N
BURY
ON-FARM DISPOSAL
l Plas c film is used in fie ds &
nurseries with fruit, vegetable,
ornamental & tree crops:
e.g., as mulch & fumiga on film •
hoophouse, high tunnel, &
greenhouse cover • irriga on
tubing • low tunnels • F.I.B.C.
• fer lizer bags • etc.
OFF-FARM
DISPOSAL
COLLECT,
SORT,
HAUL,
BALE
,
RED
H
S
,
.
, e.g Y CLEAN
S
S
E
C
DR
PRO ,WASH, E),
D
AK
GRIN UM, SH
E
U
ETIZ
(VAC Y, PELL
SIF
DEN
PLASTIC
FILM
(MOSTLY LDPE PLASTIC RESINS + ADDITIVES)
HIGHWAY & PARKING
BUMPERS, LUMBER &
‘PLYWOOD’, STEP
‘STONES’, SIDEWALK
PAVERS, CRUDE OIL &
WAXES, ROOF &
DRAINAGE TILES,
GARBAGE &
SHOPPING BAGS, etc.
SELL TO
CONSUMERS
‘ plywood’
subs tute made
from recycled
hor cultural
plas cs
LANDFILL
GLOBAL SUPPLIERS OF TECHNICAL
FILMS FOR AGRICULTURAL USE
MANUFACTURE
NEW PRODUCTS
with RECYCLED
CONTENT: e.g.,
WASTE
to
ENERGY
File: LifeCycleHor culturalFilm-LCL2014Dec
4
Plastics-to-Oil
HEAT + PRESSSURE ( + catalyst) 
oil or wax + inorganic residue
(e.g., carbon black)
PLASTICS RECYCLING CONFERENCE 2014 – LEVITAN, CORNELL UNIVERSITY
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Waste-to-Energy
≠ RECYCLING
ENERGY RECOVERY BY INCINERATION
(COMBUSTION AT HIGH HEAT)
Organic waste  inorganic ash, flue gas + heat
Graphic: SICK Sensor Intelligence. http://www.sick.com/group/EN/home/solutions/industries/waste/Pages/waste.aspx
United States: 67 large Municipal Solid Waste incinerators + several hundred
industrial, medical and hazardous waste incinerators of all sizes (Source: Waste
Incineration. Unites States Response to UNEP Questionnaire for Paragraph 29 Study, Enclosure 4a, Rev. May 2010)
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Fuel Pellets
PLASTIC PELLETS or 10% PLASTIC + BIOMASS
 burns hotter, flows better
LEVITAN, CORNELL UNIVERSITY
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LIFE CYCLE OF HORTICULTURAL FILM
Lois Levitan, PhD
Recycling Agricultural Plas cs Program (RAPP)
Cornell University, Ithaca NY 14853
December 2014
DUMP
or
OPEN
BUR N
BURY
ON-FARM DISPOSAL
l Plas c film is used in fie ds &
nurseries with fruit, vegetable,
ornamental & tree crops:
e.g., as mulch & fumiga on film •
hoophouse, high tunnel, &
greenhouse cover • irriga on
tubing • low tunnels • F.I.B.C.
• fer lizer bags • etc.
OFF-FARM
DISPOSAL
COLLECT,
SORT,
HAUL,
BALE
,
RED
H
S
,
.
, e.g Y CLEAN
S
S
E
C
DR
PRO ,WASH, E),
D
AK
GRIN UM, SH
E
U
ETIZ
(VAC Y, PELL
SIF
DEN
PLASTIC
FILM
(MOSTLY LDPE PLASTIC RESINS + ADDITIVES)
HIGHWAY & PARKING
BUMPERS, LUMBER &
‘PLYWOOD’, STEP
‘STONES’, SIDEWALK
PAVERS, CRUDE OIL &
WAXES, ROOF &
DRAINAGE TILES,
GARBAGE &
SHOPPING BAGS, etc.
SELL TO
CONSUMERS
‘ plywood’
subs tute made
from recycled
hor cultural
plas cs
LANDFILL
GLOBAL SUPPLIERS OF TECHNICAL
FILMS FOR AGRICULTURAL USE
MANUFACTURE
NEW PRODUCTS
with RECYCLED
CONTENT: e.g.,
WASTE
to
ENERGY
File: LifeCycleHor culturalFilm-LCL2014Dec
8
Horticultural Plastics
Many different film and rigid products.
Many colors, multi-colored.
Different resins, & mixes of resins, with additives.
Mostly low density PE, but also HDPE, PP, PS.
PVC used historically;
some still used, particularly in imported products.
Plant pots, flats, trays: PE, PP, PS
Greenhouse & tunnel covers
PP bulk
bags
Mulch film
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Horticultural Plastics
Challenges to recycling
•
characteristics inherent to these plastic
products
•
characteristics of the products after use in
fields & nurseries
•
cost and logistics of collection and transport
from fields (or nurseries) to recycling
markets
Photo: Delta Planstics
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Challenges to recycling:
• characteristics inherent to complex, technical products
Thin films with multiple extrusion layers, each with additives and
colorants for specific agronomic or horticultural purposes:
Block UV
Repel insects
Absorb or reflect heat
EVOH O2 barrier
Hold moisture
Reinforce structure
Prevent backwash
Stretchability
Stickiness
Tensile strength
Flexibility
Rigidity
Longevity
Degradability
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Jphn Deere
Pro-Flat
PVC drip tape
John Deere
Max-Flat PE
irrigation
drip tape
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Plant pots, flats, seedling trays
HDPE, PS, PP, blown, molded, thermo-formed
Photo: Lois Levitan, RAPP
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Maple syrup tubing
Mostly LDPE tubing (some old PVC tubing) with fittings,
connectors, and ball
valves of nylon,
polycarbonate,
rubber
Photoa: Lois Levitan, RAPP
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Challenges to recycling:
• characteristics of products after use (post-consumer)
Photos: Lois Levitan, RAPP
Used & stored outdoors, in mud, rain & snow
Often with residues of soil, plant debris, moisture, stones & grit
Possible or perceived pesticide residues & soil pathogens
Bulky
Photo:
Lois Levitan, RAPP
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Challenges to recycling:
• characteristics of the products after use (post-consumer)
Mulch film: strips of LDPE, typically ≤ 1
mil thick ( high surface:volume ratio).
Lays on soil, gets very dirty.
White, black, silver, occasionally clear or
other colors. Sometimes 2+ color layers.
Some with nylon or EVOH O2 barrier layer.
Baled mulch film
Photo: Sky Plastics
Photo: Lois Levitan, RAPP
Delta Plastics
(L)LDPE irrigation
polytube,
Photo: Delta Plastics
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Pesticide containers, chemical drums. HDPE.
Example of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR): Ag Container
Recycling Council (ACRC) financed by pesticide manufacturers and
distributors. ACRC protocols require triple rinsing, special handling & approved
end-uses that minimize exposure. ACRC oversees a national network of
collectors, processors, end-product manufacturers. 10 million lb collected
2014; 150 million lb since began in early 1990s.
Photo: Lois Levitan, RAPP
Photo: Nate Leonard, RAPP
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New technologies & advances in processing equipment
creating new recycling options
Horticultural Mulch Film: Before & After Washing
BEFORE WASHING
1 MINUTE LATER
Photo: Lois Levitan, RAPP
Paul Vanderpool: “Recyclers have learned how to recycle better”
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F. Paul Vanderpool
American Cierra Corporation
491 Grant Ave. Auburn, NY 13021
office 315-252-6630. m 315-7306156
email: paul@cierrainc.net
“Recyclers have learned how to
recycle better”
www.americancierraequipment.com
Photo: Lois Levitan, RAPP
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Mobile cleaning, baling, grinding equipment
Photo: Romall Ind
•
Mobile film reclamation system
•
Cleans film ON-SITE, allowing
flexibility in scheduling
•
Bales film for shipment ON-SITE
•
Self-contained, small footprint
•
Meets all California power plant
restrictions
•
Cleans film with proprietary non–
water processes
•
High volume capacity
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Contact:
Lloyd Gleaves, CEO
209 495-1282, <lloyd@romallindustries.com>
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Best Management Practices (BMPs)
• Keep plastic clean and dry as possible
• Shake out pebbles & clumps of soil
• Roll or fold into pillow-sized bundles
• Store off ground, out of mud, grit, gravel
• Separate plastic by color and type
Photo: Jim Zecca. Madison Co
What not to do!
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Greenhouse, hoophouse,
high tunnel covers
Clear or white sheets of (L)LDPE.
Excellent quality for recycling.
Challenge: Keep clean & remove efficiently,
meeting needs of growers & recyclers
Photo: Lois Levitan, RAPP
LEVITAN, CORNELL UNIVERSITY
Without prep for baling:
1.
2.
4.
3.
Photo: Jim Zecca. Madison Co
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4 hrs to finish bale,
vs. ½ hr with plastic
prepped in stacked
bundles
23
Efficient compaction:
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Challenges to recycling:
• Cost & logistics of collection and transport from fields or
nurseries, etc. to recycling markets
• In most of the U.S., agricultural plastics are dispersed
acrosss the rural landscape  high costs of collection
Difficult to amass
full 40,000 lb truckloads
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Why should society & recyclers care
about this particular set of plastics?
• Less than 2% of plastic
discarded in US, but possibly
10% of film*
• Very visible 2-10%
• When left in the fields catches in
bushes, ditches, ravines
• Alternatives to recycling not
pretty: burning, burying in fields
bad for air & water quality
• Landfilling costly to society
*based on VT data calculated by Annie
Macmillan, VT Agency of Agriculture.
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• Societal value of recycling >>
economic value: All society
benefits from conservation of
resources & energy.
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Agricultural Plastic Recycling Markets:
Processors (Reclaimers) &
Manufacturers
• Domestic markets can & do process used horticultural plastic.
• Location. Location. Location. More options, less costly to
recycle where farms (& plastic use) are concentrated: FL, CA.
• Smaller, regional recycling markets important for co-mingled
supply from less concentrated areas.
• Some recycling markets vertically integrate to guarantee supply
& increase efficiency.
• Some pick up & some require drop-off.
• Only a few pay for material.
• Some take-back products after use & give credit on purchases.
Recycling markets typically put < value on difficult-to-recycle plastic
than it costs to collect & transport.
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http://www.deltaplastics.com/
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Capacity to recycle 200
million lb/yr, with potential to
double. Only (L)LDPE
recycling@deltaplastics.com
800.277.9172
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• Recycling arm of
Command Packaging.
http://encore-recycling.com/
• Opened late 2013
• 100 million lb/yr capacity
(CA uses 150 mm lb/),
• Convert mulch film to 125x
reusable smarterbags™ .
• $3 million CA grant Nov’14.
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http://www.flagplastics.com/
Opened 2014. Collect
mulch film & drip tape from
large Florida farms. Shred,
clean, dry film. Sell to
pelletizers worldwide. 40
million lb/yr at current site.
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http://www.netafimrecycling.com/
California collection area
only. Pay based on dry
weight polyethylene
tubing, 8¢/lb towards
new orders, 4¢/lb cash.
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http://www.bridoncordage.com/forage/revolver.html
bridon
cordage
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The Blackmore Company
http://www.blackmoreco.com/
Call (800) 874-8660 about recycling
polystyrene trays.
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http://www.eastjordanplastics.
com/recycling-program
Manufacture &
recycle plant
containers:
HDPE, PP, PS.
10 million lb/yr
recycling capacity
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NBF Plastics: plywood substitute,
PIMS technology, anticipate 1-2 million lbs/yr
TERRECON
Top skin:
black & white silage bag film
Top skin:
blue boat wrap
Top skin:
maple tubing
& fittings
TERREWALKS®
sidewalk pavers from
agricultural bale wrap,
thermokinetic
processing
info@terrecon.com
Dishashish Plastic Manufacturers LLC: garbage bags,
~ 20% recycled b/w silage bags (1 million lb/yr). ashish@dishallc.us
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QUESTIONS from YOUR EXPERIENCE:
• Efficient methods/equipment that minimize
dirt/debris in removing cover plastic & mulch?
• Rollers, balers or other equipment that
compact plastics tightly for transport?
Lois Levitan, PhD
Recycling Agricultural Plastics Program
Dept Communication, Cornell University
Ithaca NY 14853
lcl3@cornell.edu 607-592-0356
Photo: Lois Levitan, RAPP
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