Click here to sign up for our free daily newsletter.
(Image Credit: (supplied photo/Cleanfarms))

Cleanfarms ushers in new era of agricultural Circularity

Apr 27, 2026 | 1:37 PM

Cleanfarms is growing its focus on finding innovative circularity solutions in Canadian agriculture. 

It’s a direct result of the work started by outgoing Executive Director Barry Friesen, who retired on April 2. 

Under his guidance, Cleanfarms created a comprehensive “blue box” model for Canadian agriculture, created stewardship programs across Canada and provided operational support for provinces as they implemented extended producer responsibility policies for a variety of agricultural materials. 

Executive Director Shane Hedderson said recycling in the ag sector is hard to do, but worth it. 

“It happens only as a result of us making very considered decisions by forming relationships with our members and partners and working closely with Canadian farmers,” Hedderson said. “We celebrate the Cleanfarms way of ushering in a high-value phase of stewardship in which circularity is both operationally viable and a valued component of how the entire Canadian agricultural sector works.”

Cleanfarms offers 10 programs that help farmers across Canada recycle and sustainably manage agricultural plastics and products that they use on their farms.

In 2025, its flagship recycling program for pesticide and fertilizer containers under 23 litres consistently achieves an excellent recovery rate that exceeds 80 per cent was extended to Newfoundland.

Cleanfarms continues to work to find, develop and support solutions to keep used agricultural plastics moving through a closed-loop system, making the case that the outputs can be seen as a resource rather than a waste. 

alice.mcfarlane@pattisonmedia.com