About Us

What’s the Problem?

Industry estimates are that between 150,000 – 200,000 tons of plastics go onto farms in Australia every year. Less than 3% is being recycled (compared to a national average of 19% - PACIA 2008). This includes fodder conservation plastics such as silage wrap, bale net, baling twine, silage pit covers and grain storage tubes.

After use, fodder conservation plastics result in a waste stream that is unsightly, expensive to collect, costly to dispose of and of little commercial value.

The two most common methods of disposal are for the plastic to go into landfill or to be illegally burnt. Although inert, it is expensive and wasteful to put into landfill. If the products are burnt – it is damaging the environment. Both methods of disposal result in a wasted resource.
Less than two hundred tonnes of this plastic was recycled in 2008. In 2009, the market price for plastic waste declined by 70%, due to the global slowdown. Farm plastic waste is no longer economic to collect.

This plastic waste is now either: staying on farm, being illegally burnt, going into landfill or being stockpiled by councils. No long term, state wide solution to recycling this waste has been found. Until now … 

The Plasback Solution

Fodder conservation plastic delivers a range environmental, social and economic benefits to the agricultural sector. However for it to continue to be used, it’s disposal after use must be sustainable.

The Plasback strategy is to create a system all stakeholders can contribute to and suite of products that will add commercial value to a previously valueless farm plastic waste stream. The ultimate aim is to create a cost effective disposal method for the end users of not just Tapex brand plastics, but all their plastics.

It is a holistic approach to benefit the entire farming community.

The Plasback farm plastics recycling program is designed to be ultimately self funding, unlike levy schemes. Plasback creates a market for this plastic waste stream. The Plasback program involves the collection of a clean segregated waste stream, which is then recycled into a range of lumber replacement products under the Tuffboard brand, adding value to the waste and funding it’s collection.

Initially Plasback will focus on silage wrap, silage covers, twine and grain tubes.

Plasback will provide a long term, low cost solution for farmers and councils for the disposal of this waste. It will minimise plastic waste to landfill, minimise environmental damage, ensure these valuable products are recycled and make their use sustainable into the future.

Who benefits?

• Farmers gain a long term solution for the recycling of this waste
• Councils reduce the waste to landfill
• Waste Contractors are provided a new stable waste market
• Recyclers have a reliable raw material source and market for end products
• Retailers engage in sustainable business practise
• Tapex fulfills it’s product stewardship goals and engages in sustainable business practise
• Everyone closes the loop and clean up the rural environment.

Background on Fodder Packaging Plastic

Fodder packaging is made from three different types of plastic. Each type has different properties and melt temperatures, which mean they
cannot be processed together. They are:

Silage wrap                                    LLDPE (linear low density polyethylene)
Silage covers                                 LLDPE (linear low density polyethylene)
Grain storage tubes                     LDPE (low density polyethylene)
Net wrap (or hay band)                HDPE (high density polyethylene)
Baling twine                                   PP (polypropylene)

The largest volume of plastic waste in these categories is produced by silage wrap – estimated at up to 4,000 tonnes pa. 80% of silage wrap usage is on dairy farms. There are approx 8,000 dairy farms in Australia. 67% of Australia’s dairy production is centred in Victoria.
The average dairy herd is 258 cows.* Industry estimates are that a cow will consume one and a half bales of silage per year. Silage is fed out for 60 days usually in late summer, early autumn. Each silage wrap contains approx 1.2kg of plastic. Therefore the average dairy farm has 310kgs of silage wrap plastic to dispose of each year.

*DAIRY AUSTRALIA 2010 REPORT

Who are Tapex?                                                                                

"Tapex commit to creating winning partnerships and products through innovation, loyalty and respect for profits, people and the planet."

Tapex are an Australian plastics manufacturer and a major supplier of fodder conservation plastic to the rural sector. Tapex are the only manufacturer of baling twine in Australasia.

Tapex are a participant in the NSW government Sustainability Advantage program. Tapex are committed to successfully manage for a better environment and add business value through sustainable practises.

Tapex understand they have a long term commitment to the fodder packaging sector and a long term obligation to the products once they leave our premises.

In 2006 we launched our first product stewardship program for silage wrap in New Zealand. We now have 1000 participating farmers there collecting over 1000 tonnes a year of plastic for reprocessing in Christchurch.

In 2010 the NZ program was rebranded Plasback. www.plasback.co.nz. In April 2010 Plasback in New Zealand was endorsed by the Minister of the Environment as the first government approved rural product stewardship scheme. In July 2010 Plasback New Zealand was awarded a $130,000 grant to promote the program to farmers.

In 2010 Tapex launched the Plasback product stewardship program in Australia.