The MRC Pontiac innovates with the agricultural plastics recovery project

The MRC Pontiac innovates with the agricultural plastics recovery project

The MRC Pontiac has launched a pilot project for the recovery of agricultural plastics on its territory, thanks to a grant from the Fonds du Grand Mouvement Desjardins administered by the caisse Desjardins movement in the province.

This financial contribution of $ 113,000 will allow the MRC Pontiac to recover agricultural plastics on its territory as of spring 2021.

“This 3-year project is part of an initiative by the MRC Pontiac aimed at reducing the quantities of residual materials sent to landfill. It responds to the desire of agricultural businesses in the Pontiac to reduce the environmental impacts of their activities, ”explains Thierry Raimbault, the environmental coordinator for the MRC Pontiac.

Fernand Ackey from CHIP 101.9, spoke with Thierry Raimbault on the objectives of the project.

During the first part of the project, around fifteen agricultural companies already selected will receive a press specially developed for baling agricultural plastics intended for the conservation of fodder plants. Among them, Rick Younge, a cattle producer from Clarendon, who is also one of the initiators of the project, believes that this initiative is beneficial for both the environment and the agricultural community “in order to change the public’s perception of agriculture” .

The recovered plastics will then be recycled or sent for energy recovery in collaboration with AgriRÉCUP, a non-profit organization. “It was by working with local stakeholders and studying collection methods elsewhere in Quebec that the MRC and its partners arrived at the definition of this pilot project. Ultimately, a total of 45 agricultural businesses will be able to integrate the project, “said Nolwenn Beaumont, green economy project coordinator at the Regional Council for the Environment and Sustainable Development of the Outaouais (CREDDO).

Remember that this green project is carried out thanks to a synergy of several actors and donors, including CREDDO and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAPAQ). It is also funded by MAPAQ under part 2 of the PrimeVert program.