Agrecovery welcomes the Government’s launch of public consultation on the proposed regulation of Agrecovery’s Farm Plastics Product Stewardship Scheme—a critical step toward building a consistent, convenient, and future-focused recycling system for New Zealand’s primary sector.

“This is a positive and long-awaited step forward for the sector,” says Agrecovery Chief Executive Tony Wilson. “New Zealand farmers and growers want recycling systems that are easy to use and fit for purpose. Regulation will give Agrecovery the tools to scale up services, expand access to recycling, and deliver a more consistent nationwide system for managing the complexity of plastic use in farming today.”

“Agrecovery has worked collaboratively with industry and rural sector stakeholders to develop the Farm Plastics Product Stewardship Scheme with a clear focus on delivering an effective, efficient and customer-centric solution for New Zealand’s primary sector, ensuring that those who participate in the scheme are at the forefront of its design.

By incorporating all key stakeholders—from field to factory—the model has been built with a shared responsibility approach to ensure all plastic along the wider supply chain is managed sustainably.”

The first stage of the scheme will cover four key farm plastics:

1. agrichemical containers and drums
2. bale wrap and silage sheet
3. small seed, feed and fertiliser bags
4. large grain and fertiliser bags (bulk PP bags)

Over time, the scheme may expand to cover additional materials such as netting, irrigation pipe, and plant pots—ensuring a full, end-to-end solution for managing on-farm plastic waste.

Agrecovery currently runs voluntary recycling programmes for many of these materials, but regulation will enable the network to grow and offer more reliable access to free drop-off services across the country.

Agrecovery Board Chair and farmer, Anders Crofoot, says it’s encouraging to see progress toward a system that works for the people on the ground.

“It’s great to see us moving closer to a regulated scheme that’s simple, free, and accessible for farmers to use,” he says. “We know the demand is there—this is about making sure every farmer has access to a service that makes doing the right thing the easy thing.”

“We’ve designed a practical scheme that ends the cycle of burning and burying plastic,” says Wilson. “We encourage all stakeholders to make a submission and support the move towards a regulated solution.”

Submissions are open until 1 June 2025 and can be made through the Ministry for the Environment’s website.

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