A farming couple have launched a business to help farmers dispose of unwanted horticultural plastic by transforming it into garden furniture.
David and Heather Perks, of Bosbury, Herefordshire, are helping farmers meet the changes to waste management regulations by setting up a service collecting plastic waste.
Many plastic items, such as fertiliser sacks, wrap, bags and sheets, can only be used once and are frequently contaminated by chemical, soil and feed residues.
Carelessly discarded, these could pose risks not only to human health and the environment, but also to the flora and fauna of the countryside.
The couple, who received a £45,500 Government grant to set up the service, Farm Plastic Recycled, have already generated interest from 250 farmers in Herefordshire, Shropshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire.
The firm collects the waste plastic and processes it into one-and-a-half tonne bales, using a bespoke baler.
It is then transported by a Herefordshire haulier for recycling into granules used by plastics moulding manufacturers.
Mr Perks said: "As farmers ourselves, we were acutely aware of the difficulties faced by other farmers in responsibly disposing of unwanted plastic items, so we contacted the company already collecting from some English counties.
"With technical advice and £45,500 funding from Defra, we have been able to establish not only a comprehensive collection service covering four counties, but also the process of baling waste before transporting for recycling."
