GOUVERNEUR – The huge volume of waste plastic generated by farms can now be recycled in many parts of New York State, and it will be demonstrated at the Gouverneur and St. Lawrence County Fair Aug. 3.

After the demonstration, there will be training in how to handle the waste plastic to prepare it for shipping to a recycler.

At 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. that day, the Recycling Agricultural Plastics Project (RAPP) will be providing information and demonstrating how a BigFoot plastics baler can compact piles of discarded plastic into neat, stackable bales ready for shipment to recycling markets. The demos will be followed by in-depth training in baler operations and safety.

Farmers and others interested in using the BigFoot on their farms or in their communities are invited to stay an additional half hour or so for the training.

RAPP works with the St. Lawrence County Soil and Water Conservation District and Cornell Cooperative Extension of St. Lawrence County and other partners to implement plastics recycling here.

Most of New York State's BigFoot balers were purchased by the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) for use in conjunction with the NYS Recycling Agricultural Plastics Project (RAPP). A few other balers are owned privately or by County SWCDs.

For information about the St. Lawrence County agricultural plastics recycling program, contact the St. Lawrence County SWCD at 386-3582 or St. Lawrence County CCE at 379-9192 for more info.