MP calls for clampdown on farm plastics

A rural MP has called for a wider debate about the need to reduce plastic waste in agriculture – warning that it is a key environmental issue for the industry.

North Cornwall MP Scott Mann made the plea in a Westminster Hall debate, saying farming relied heavily on the use of plastics and “some progress” could be made.

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Plastics used in agriculture included net wrap for bales, silage wrap, irrigation pipes, storage sacking, plastic film over crops and packaging, he said.

Recent legislation to tackle the scourge of plastics has seen plastic straws banned, products containing microbeads outlawed and plans brought forward for a bottle deposit scheme.

Suggesting agriculture should also be targeted, Mr Mann said the new policies were part of a “cultural change” in how the public views plastic.

He added: “We clearly need to find a way to make agriculture more environmentally friendly without putting a heavy burden on our fantastic farmers.”

Net wrap challenge

The government should encourage a bigger move away from single-use plastics towards organic materials – or at least material that could be recycled, said Mr Mann.

Mr Mann said: “One thing that is not made of biodegradable material, and which I am particularly concerned about, is net wrap, which is used to tie large bales of hay.

“It is not the plastic coating that goes around the outside—the black stuff. Net wrap holds the bale in place, and is made up of a very thin strand of non-recyclable plastic.

“It is terrible for wildlife and the marine environment, and ultimately could find its way into watercourses and then into the sea. That is my main focus in the debate.”

Defra should set up a research and development fund to try to find a way of ensuring that all plastic farming materials can be recycled, said Mr Mann.

It should also encourage viable alternative organic production methods wherever possible so plastics did not end up in the environment, among wildlife and in the oceans.

Recycling schemes

Responding for the government, Defra minister Thérèse Coffey said the government shared concerns about plastic waste polluting the environment from all sources.

She said: “We urge farmers and agricultural workers to take responsibility for their waste, and to follow guidance to ensure that they capture plastic waste and deal with it properly.”

Ms Coffey said Mr Mann’s comments were the first time she had heard someone talk specifically about environmental problems associated with net wrap.

Plastic wrap used for hay bales could be recycled, and the infrastructure to do so existed – but contamination levels and collection costs meant demand for farm plastic waste was low.

The NFU, Environment Agency and 10 farm waste collectors have met to consider the challenges for recycling farm plastics, said Ms Coffey.

Farmers selling bales of hay need to participate in the packaging recovery note system and it is important that recycling services are available across the country, she added.

“I recognise and welcome the valuable work of operators in the farming sector who are taking proactive steps to recycle farm plastic waste,” said Ms Coffey.