Since November 1999 farmers and agvet chemical users in the Bundaberg region have utilised the drumMUSTER container recycling program to recycle over 700,000 ag and vet chemical containers. This equates to over 740 tonnes of plastic that has been recycled rather than being burnt or buried either on farms or in landfill.
Agsafe’s AgVet chemical product stewardship programs, drumMUSTER and ChemClear, divert used containers and obsolete chemicals from landfill, re-routing them into recycling and responsible disposal pathways that assist in keeping land and waterways safe.
Since drumMUSTER started operations in 1998, more than 37,000 tonnes of unwanted plastics have been diverted from landfill sites into recycling programs, which has saved Australian local councils a massive $33 million on landfill costs for waste management purposes. There are over 800 collection sites throughout Australia including over 350 local council sites and over 130 community groups participate.
Plastics make up the majority of AgVet containers and those displaying the drumMUSTER logo, have a suitable recycling pathway aimed at reducing Australia’s carbon emissions and conserving our resources.
Once the stored, empty, clean containers are collected, they are shredded and granulated, processed into pellets via heat extrusion, then re-used to make wheelie bins, fencing, pipes, bollards, road markers and public furniture.
Dominique Doyle, Agsafe General Manager, said of the program, “Farm businesses who frequent drumMUSTER sites are setting a good example of how the simple act of recycling can keep land and waterways cleaner and litter-free, and communities safer.”