Grain Producers SA will investigate the feasibility of a silo bag recycling scheme, after a study found one million kilograms of bags were being used on SA farms each year with no reuse or recycling options.
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Commissioned by GPSA and conducted by Colby Phillips Advisory, the study found more than 60 per cent of those silo bags used each year were on the Eyre Peninsula.
The study also found that no farmers in SA were recycling used silo bags due to cost and logistical reasons.
Three potential recycling pathways were put forward by the study - a drop-off and collection scheme, producer led on-farm pickup and recycler delivery scheme, or a bag supplier-led return scheme.
Most farmers indicated they'd be willing to recycle, but would be willing to pay a fee in the 5-10 per cent range of the cost of a silo bag.
The consultant estimated uptake for a silo bag recycling scheme would be 30-60pc.
GPSA chair John Gladigau said there was strong grower appetite for a solution but cost was the underlying concern.
"They have become a really valuable resource for grain growers for two reasons - they're an asset for managing harvesting logistics and also they have the potential to add value to grain by holding it on-farm post-harvest," he said.
"They've become a really valuable part of the farming system in SA, but there's a huge issue with used silo bags that has consistently been raised with GPSA by growers.
"We've got all of this plastic and the question is what do we do with it?
"Farmers are environmentally conscious and looking for a solution."
The advocacy group is looking for grant funding opportunities to put together a small-scale pilot recycling scheme to see how it could operate.
GPSA chief executive officer Brad Perry said growers were likely to face increasing supply chain and market pressure to find an environmentally-friendly solution to the silo bag conundrum.
"Anecdotally we know that grain silo bags are currently being rolled up and stockpiled on farms or ending up in landfill due to the difficulties to reuse or recycle them," he said.
"The consultant has undertaken an initial piece of work for GPSA, which looks at potential options to support a sustainable way to get these silo bags off farm.
"While the consultant noted that many grain producers were keen to recycle, the solution needs to be affordable."
