ORONO, Maine (AP) — Maine wants to find a way to keep more of the plastic used by agriculture greenhouses out of landfills with a new recycling program.

The state is targeting low-density polyethylene, which is a clear film used to cover agricultural structures such as greenhouses and high tunnels. The state disposes of more than 30 tons of the plastic, and most of it goes to landfills, according to the University of Maine.

University of Maine Cooperative Extensive is set to receive more than $38,000 from a Maine Department of Environmental Protection Waste Diversion Grant to develop a statewide pilot program to recycle the plastic, the university said. The goal is to collect at least a third of the state’s annual waste greenhouse plastic and work with an end-user with the ability to convert it for use in new materials.

The university expects the volume of the plastic waste will increase, in part because of the growth of the hemp and cannabis markets in Maine. The university said collection of waste plastic for the pilot program will run from May to September of next year.

–Associated Press

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