Two decades of work to build better recycling solutions for rural New Zealand has reached a defining moment, with regulations for the Rural Recycling Scheme now confirmed.
From 1 March 2027, Agrecovery will manage a regulated national product stewardship scheme covering agrichemical containers and drums, bale wrap, silage sheet and agricultural bagged products.
For farmers and growers, it means an easy and efficient way to recycle more of the plastics they use.
Agrecovery Chief Executive Tony Wilson says the announcement is a significant moment for rural New Zealand.
“For 20 years, we’ve worked alongside farmers, growers and industry to develop practical recycling services that work for rural New Zealand.
“We’ve learnt a huge amount over that time about what works and what people need from a rural recycling system. Regulation means we can now take that experience and apply it across a much bigger national scheme.
“There is plenty to do between now and March, but we’ve been preparing for this for a long time, and we’re ready to get on with it.”
The industry-led scheme will bring eligible materials into one national system, supported by take-back sites and collection services across rural New Zealand.
For producers of regulated products, it means responsibility for the recovery of those products will be shared across the market. Producers will be required tocontributea small fee–typicallyaround 1% or less–forregulated products sold to fund the scheme.
Agrecovery Chair Anders Crofoot says this is an important change for industry.
“Many businesses have supported rural recycling voluntarily for years and we are grateful to them. Now that responsibility will be shared consistently across the market.
“That gives industry greater confidence in how these products will be managed and gives Agrecovery the ability to plan and invest in services for the long term.”
Agrecovery will now work directly with producers to get them registered and ready for the new reporting and scheme fee requirements.
At the same time, it will prepare the collection network and provide farmers, growers and rural contractors with clear information about what can be recycled, how it needs to be prepared and where it can be returned.
Wilson says the priority now is delivery.
“We want recycling these materials to be as practical and accessible as possible for rural New Zealand.
“This announcement means Agrecovery transitions from preparing for regulation to delivering the scheme. That’s what we’ll be focused on over the coming months.”
Existing voluntary schemes will continue tooperateuntil the Rural Recycling Scheme starts on 1 March 2027.
The regulations will require participation in the scheme by all producers of regulated products, including agrichemicals sold in plastic containers and drums of 1,000 litres or less (including household pest and weed control products).
Also covered are all plastic bale wrap and silage sheets, and plastic bags containing completed agricultural products including, but not limited to seed, feed, fertiliser, soil and crop inputs and farm and animal supplements, in either small plastic bags (16-40 kilograms when full) and large woven polypropylene bags (over 40 kilograms when full).
The regulations target productsmostlyused in agricultural settingsand asmall subset of agrichemicals used by households.