Farmers: show recycling some love on Valentine’s Day

Farmers and members of the agri-business community are invited to attend the inaugural Agricultural Plastics Recycling Forum on February 14 at the Lansing Community College West Campus.

The forum is designed to be a valuable experience in learning and creating connections between generators, collectors, transporters, processors and end users of agricultural plastics.

'Michigan Farm Bureau is proud to sponsor this new event,' said Laura Campbell, Farm Bureau's Agriculture Ecology manager. 'Our members recognize the importance of improving how we recycle used agricultural products and in turn, find innovative ways to manufacture new products.'

The event will run from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and will include international keynote speakers and a review of successful state recycling programs.

According to the event's webpage, annually, Michigan dairy farmers generate 3.28 million pounds of agriculture film and vegetable producers' lay about 10,000 acres of black plastic mulch. The majority of this material is currently being sent to landfills and, in some cases, illegally burned or buried.

The Agricultural Plastics Recycling Forum is co-hosted by the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, Michigan Department of Agriculture & Rural Development and the Missaukee Conservation District.