Resolution 2-21; Link to cleanfarms transition page
The ASBPC received a letter from cleanfarms outlining the process and the three year transition plan for moving from municipal collection sites to agriculture retail collection sites. These changes will standardize how pesticide containers less than 23 L are collected across Canada. Knowing the size of your local collection site is key to knowing when the site will be transitioned.
Cleanfarms operates the collection program for <23L pesticide and fertilizer containers on behalf of Canada’s leading developers, manufacturers, distributors and retailers of pest control products and fertilizers. Together, these companies support good stewardship in and away from the field. Small pesticide & fertilizer containers are collected at agricultural retail (ag-retail) locations in all Canadian provinces, except Alberta and Manitoba.
In August 2021, Alberta’s Agricultural Service Board (ASB) passed a resolution (Resolution 2-21) to work with Alberta Environment and Parks (AEP) and Cleanfarms to shift the responsibility of collecting <23L containers from Alberta municipalities to ag-retail locations.
Following the ASB Resolution, Cleanfarms staff recommended Cleanfarms’ Board of Directors to standardize the <23L pesticide and fertilizer container collection program to collect jugs at retail locations across Canada. Cleanfarms staff developed a three-year transition plan from a municipal collection model to a retail collection model. The plan includes:
- Detailed consultation with key stakeholder groups (retailers, grower groups, municipalities, provincial government staff)
- Blended collection logistics for the duration of the transition period (hybrid retail and municipal collections)
- Communications materials and ongoing support for retailers, municipalities, and growers
In September 2021, Cleanfarms’ Board of Directors approved the recommendation to fully transition small container collections in Alberta from municipal locations to retail locations by the end of 2024. Following the Board’s approval, Cleanfarms has started engaging with ag-retailers and contractors on the transitional plan to solicit buy-in on the ag-retail collection model. Ag-retailers across the province with an early interest in collecting <23L pesticide and fertilizer containers may receive on-site pickup beginning Spring 2022.
Cleanfarms will use a phased approach to ensure that municipalities, ag-retailers, and growers have adequate time to adjust to the transition and ensure that all participating locations receive good service from collections contractors. The key to success for the transition will be effective engagement with the impacted sites and strategically managing workflow through careful and deliberate site selection in each phase of the process.
The volume of <23L containers collected at each municipal collection site varies significantly throughout the province. To ease the workflow for program contractors and administrators, municipal sites with the lowest volume collected per year will be closed in the early phases of the transition, and retailers surrounding these sites will receive the necessary support to adapt to the closures. Municipal sites with the highest collection volumes will operate throughout the transition period, while retailers surrounding the high-volume areas will receive the necessary support to receive all the material in the area by the end of the three-year transition period.
A high-level summary of the municipal site volume analysis is as follows:
- Zero volume sites (0 lbs/ year) – close before Spring 2022
- Lowest volume sites (1 to 5,000 lbs/ year) – close by Dec 31st, 2022
- Medium volume sites (5,001 to 20,000 lbs/ year) – close by Dec 31st, 2023
- Largest volume sites (over 20,000 lbs/ year) – close by Dec 31st, 2024, engage surrounding retailers early 2022)
Cleanfarms will be reaching out to all municipal sites for individual guidance through the transition.
Municipal collection sites that wish to cease collection of containers before the end of the transition period are encouraged to contact Cleanfarms directly to ensure that alternative recycling opportunities are available for their ratepayers.
In closing, thank you in advance in advance for your commitment to helping us deliver valuable stewardship programs to Canadian farmers.
If you have any questions/concerns, please contact me for more information.
Sincerely,
Shane Hedderson
Director, Western Region
416-646-1257 heddersons@cleanfarms.ca
Agricultural Service Boards 