More than anyone, farmers understand how important it is to take care of the environment in which we work and live.
Farmers and contractors are looking for opportunities to improve their environmental credentials, but at the same time, they must balance their concern for the environment with ensuring that any crops ensiled will not be spoilt. Inadequate protection could result in significant waste being generated. Silotite products offer several ways in which farmers and contractors can protect their crops without compromising on quality.
Quality is key, also when it comes to sustainability. Choosing high quality films not only prevent fodder losses, but also results in less film being thrown away.
Packaging is also an important factor; more reels on a pallet means less pallet packaging per reel. Other packaging reduction can also be thought of. By using Silotite's sleeve products, farmers and contractors can make significant savings in packaging waste per pallet.
Another step to reduce the environmental impact is by using downgauged films. Being thinner than conventional balewrap, the Silotite Professional range, our technically advanced films, use almost 20% less film, by weight, to wrap a bale. This means there is, correspondingly, less film to recycle after use.
There are other environmental benefits too. The greater reel length that comes with the Silotite Professional range enables the production of extra bales per reel. For large volume users, this can reduce the total number of reels required, which, in turn also means less cores and packaging. To a further extent, less reels needed also means less transportation needed, which in turn, on a bigger scale, results in less emissions.
The Film & Film system (F&F), where Baletite baler film is used to bind the bale before it is wrapped, is used due to the augmented silage quality it delivers through more compact bales that enable a faster fermentation. Research undertaken by ILVO (Insituut voor Landbouw - en Visserijonderzoek/Institute for research in Agriculture and Fisheries) in Belguim found that the F&F bales were on average 2cm smaller in circumference than traditional netwrap bales, as well as being 10% denser. The cumulative effect of more compact bales on film consumption all counts towards better environmental practices.
Baletite bales have also been proven to significantly reduce mould and lower dry matter losses, therefore, less fodder is wasted which not only benefits the environment but helps minimise feed costs.
Once opened, Baletite peels cleanly from the bale as no fodder is enmeshed, again minimising fodder waste.
One of the most valued benefits of the F&F wrapping system is the easy recycling as baler film is made from the same material as the stretchfilm, it is fully - and easily - recyclable.
The Silotite range of stretchfilms now includes Silotite Sustane, the next step in closing the loop of the circular economy. Silotite Sustane uses 30% recycled materials; using a mixture of mechanically or advanced recycled materials from industrial, agricultural and consumer films that have been recycled. The use of virgin materials is minimised, and plastic waste is reduced. Silotite Sustane can also be recycled again, meaning that the contribution to sustainability goes even further, to create even more recycled products.
Used silage films should not go to waste as they can be recycled to manufacture items such as damp proof membranes and refuse sacks amongst other things. Recycling schemes now exist is most countries for reprocessing agricultural films and it is important (and more cost-effective) to ensure that films are prepared properly for collection by a registered waste management company.
