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For Immediate Release: March 7, 2011
Contact: Lynne Richmond
(609) 633-2954

(TRENTON) – New Jersey Secretary of Agriculture Douglas H. Fisher today encouraged all agricultural operations to recycle the plastic used in their businesses.

The New Jersey Department of Agriculture’s year-round nursery and greenhouse film recycling program is entering its 15th year.  This type of film is used to cover greenhouses for environmental control and hoop houses for over-wintering of nursery material.

“As New Jersey growers prepare for spring, they have an opportunity to recycle the plastic film covering their greenhouses and hoophouses, saving them more than 40 percent off of their disposal costs if the materials were landfilled,” said Secretary Fisher.  “We are proud to have a successful agricultural recycling program, which keeps  these plastics out of the waste stream, provides a source for manufacturers using recycled content, saves natural resources and reduces reliance on landfills.”

Since the film-recycling program was initiated in 1997, growers in New Jersey have recycled 7,802,820 pounds of used film.  During 2010, 725,980 pounds of film were recycled.

Two regional sites accept film year-round -- the Burlington County Occupational Training Center in Mt. Holly and the Cumberland County Solid Waste Complex in Deerfield.  Out-of-state growers can take their used film to the Mt. Holly site, whereas the Cumberland site only will accept New Jersey growers’ film.  For details about the locations, hours, fees, and other vendors who accept film, visit the Department’s website at www.nj.gov/agriculture/divisions/md/prog/filmsites.html.

Both white and clear nursery film and clear multi-season (two-year, three-year, and four-year) greenhouse covers can be recycled. Film must be free of lathing, staples and saran. Loads containing other agricultural plastics, such as bags, mulch film, shrink film, stretch film, drip irrigation or ground cover film, will be rejected at the collection sites.

Vehicles used to transport the greenhouse and nursery film intra or interstate are not required to be licensed by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection as long as the used film is transported directly to one of the two collection sites participating in New Jersey’s nursery and greenhouse film recycling program.

Larger growers who produce sizeable amounts of film also have the option of collecting, preparing and selling the nursery and greenhouse film on the open market. However, price and convenience has led many farm operations to use one of the two regional collection sites to drop off their film.

In addition, the Department also offers year-round drip irrigation tape recycling, seasonal plastic pesticide container recycling and information on nursery pots, plastic flats, trays, and cell packs recycling.

To find out more about these recycling programs, contact Karen Kritz at 609-984-2506 or Karen.kritz@ag.state.nj.us or visit the New Jersey Department of Agriculture Agricultural Recycling webpage at: www.nj.gov/agriculture/divisions/md/prog/recycling.html.