County rolls out grain bag recycling program

Ag service board chairman Dustin Vossler

Justin Seward
Commentator/Courier

Cypress County Coun. Dustin Vossler moved the motion to approve the Agriculture Service Board’s policy for governing a program for the rolling and recycling of grain bags at its May 1 regular meeting.
The program was modeled after Wheatland County’s which has been well received in their area.
Its purpose is to provide producers with assistance in rolling and delivering used grain bags for the purpose of recycling the bags and keeping Ag plastics out of the landfill or being disposed in other non- ideal ways.
“The main goal here was to try and eliminate as many barriers as possible to keep the green bags recyclable,” said Jason Storch, county agriculture supervisor.
“It’s not free for us to let them up end up in the landfill either. So getting them recycled is a good thing to do.”
County Deputy Reeve Dan Hamilton had asked about the costs to Vossler and he said “I think what we have to do is do it for a year because we have no idea how many bags are out there,” said Vossler. “ I don’t foresee it being terribly expensive. It’ll be more of time thing then anything.”
He added if the cost reached $10,000, he would be shocked and that this is a part of a recycling program that is paid for other regards and it is keeping the plastic out of the landfills.
Coun. Michelle McKenzie agreed with Vossler.
“If we don’t recycle it, these things are either going to be burned in farmers yards, stuffed in a shed or stuck in the landfill somewhere because they won’t pay for it,” she said.
A separate motion was made to track the cost of the service every year and bring numbers back with the annual Agricultural Service Board report. Council approved both motions.