Producers practice good stewardship with plastic recycling

This dumpster’s sole purpose is to recycle used ag and silage plastics. Revolution Plastics, headquartered in Stuttgard, Arkansas, offers producers an environmentally friendly option to dispose of the plastics on their farms.

A dumpster on a dairy farm wouldn’t normally turn heads, but a new type of dumpster is doing that very thing.

This dumpster’s sole purpose is to recycle used ag and silage plastics. Revolution Plastics, headquartered in Stuttgard, Arkansas, offers producers an environmentally friendly option to dispose of the plastics on their farms.

“It was a big mess,” said Bruce Dannenberg of Triple D Farms in Mineral Point, Wisconsin. “We were looking for a more sustainable way to dispose of the plastics and the dumpster was a no brainer.”

He said their county officials noticed how big a problem it was to dispose the plastics and decided to address the issue. They contacted Revolution Plastics and the company started calling more farmers. Dannenberg has had a recycling dumpster for a little over a month and is happy to see it on his farm. He hopes it works out in the area.

As it turns out, this same mentality is shared by many within the Midwest as more farms begin to acquire the dumpsters, but Revolution Plastics didn’t just appear overnight. According to Price Murphy, director of operations at Revolution Plastics, they have been recycling ag plastic tape and tubing in the south for more than two decades, but saw Midwest dairy producers as another target market.

“We saw dairymen were using similar plastics in the Midwest for silage bags and covers and saw it as an opportunity to take hold of,” Murphy said.

Revolution Plastics only accepts low-density polyethylene plastics such as silage bags, bunker covers, bale wrap, oxygen barrier films, irrigation tape and tubing, and other cover films. They do not allow net wrap or twine and ask for most large objects, like rocks and wood, to be removed before being placed in the dumpster.

Dirt or mud on the plastics is not a concern. Murphy said they clean the plastics thoroughly, melt them, and recycle them into garbage bags for restaurants and universities.

The dumpsters are emptied based on the frequency they are filled. Murphy said the dumpsters have a phone number on them and producers can call when it is full. They also have scheduled routes for pick up.

There is one minor catch for dumpster eligibility, the farm must be able to generate 4,000 pounds of plastic.

“We have the abilities to calculate how much each farm generates, but, if a farm is too small, we can pair them with a neighbor,” Murphy said. “We don’t turn anyone away.”

One other added incentive for many producers: it’s free of charge to keep and fill on their operations. Where many recycling centers charge to empty the dumpsters, Revolution Plastics is making it easier to practice good stewardship.