Queensland farmers grapple with mounting farm-plastic waste as recycling options lag

On a farm near Bowen, Jodi and Phill Brown describe rows of plastic weed mats and buried trickle-tape that, after harvest, are bundled and left to wait for a collection service that rarely arrives. The lack of affordable transport means the waste piles up, echoing a broader issue identified by consultant Anne-Maree Boland, who says about 100,000 tonnes of agricultural plastics are generated each year, with only around 7 % recycled.

Farmers such as Sandra Richards have explored recycling ideas, including turning plastics into composite railway sleepers, but projects have struggled to become financially viable. A partnership with a family-run Chinese recycler aims to build a 20,000-tonne-per-year processing facility near Townsville, yet finding a site with adequate power, water and port access has proved difficult. The state’s new “Less Landfill, More Recycling 2035” strategy allocates nearly $1 billion to recycling infrastructure but does not specifically address farm plastics, prompting Environment Minister Andrew Powell to invite innovators to collaborate. The Browns and other growers hope a practical solution will emerge soon to stop the ever-growing stockpiles.