Farm plastics group agrees to waste scheme changes

The IFFPG, which operates the national farm plastics recycling scheme, has agreed to implement changes to improve transparency, promote competition and improve farmers' choice

IFFPG has agreed to make changes to the national recycling scheme to improve transparency.

Changes designed to enhance transparency and promote competition within Ireland’s farm plastics recycling scheme have been agreed.

The Irish Farm Film Producers’ Group (IFFPG) operates Ireland’s national farm plastics recycling scheme through bring centres and its authorised waste collectors.

IFFPG has agreed to implement the changes to improve transparency, promote competition and improve farmers' choice within the national scheme.

Under current waste management regulations, producers and suppliers of certain farm plastics, such as silage wrapping, pit covers and netting, must ensure the plastic waste arising from the products they place on the market is collected and recovered.

IFFPG charges farmers by weight for waste collection and applies a levy on farm plastics sold to its members, which is passed on to farmers to fund the national recycling scheme.

All new farm plastics placed on the Irish market carry a unique identifying code. This enables IFFPG to trace the products placed on the market by its members and allows farmers to access a lower collection fee when returning waste plastics through authorised collectors.

In 2024, The European Commission’s Directorate-General for Competition (DG COMP) began engagement with IFFPG regarding aspects of the recycling scheme’s operation, which had the potential to raise competition concerns and impact its members, farmers and those operating in the waste collection sector.

Agreed changes include:

• IFFPG no longer requires members to pass the levy down the supply chain, leaving it up to them if and how much they charge;
• IFFPG continues to require farmers to provide a label code on proof of purchase at collections to allow IFFPG to trace legal purchases of farm plastic;
• The bar code will no longer be needed as proof of full or partial payment of the levy; it also won't affect the price charged at the collection point, but the label code is still required to prove legal purchase of farm plastics;
• IFFPG now offers authorised waste collectors the opportunity to charge less than the recommended collection charge to farmers;
• Farmers can continue to use whatever ‘bring centre’ they like, regardless of county boundaries.

These changes follow engagement between IFFPG and DG COMP. The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, as Ireland’s national competition authority, will monitor the implementation of these and any future changes arising from that engagement.

More details about the changes can be found on the IFFPG website.