The UK has a legal obligation to implement the Waste Framework Directive (75/442/EEC, as amended) in the agricultural sector. The effect of the proposed regulations will be to extend waste management controls to "agricultural waste". As a result these regulations, the on-farm disposal of waste packaging, plastic films, and other so-called "non-natural" wastes will most likely be no longer realistic. Farms must therefore take the necessary measures to ensure that waste is recovered or disposed of without endangering human health and without using processes or methods which could harm the environment.

On-farm disposal of waste plastic is currently undertaken as follows:

Burnt: 65%
Buried: 5%
Dustbin: 5%
Taken to CA site: 5%
Waste Management Company: 5%
Other: 15%

There are over 200k agricultural holdings in the UK.

The government will shortly be issuing a Consultation Paper on the forthcoming Agricultural Waste Regulations. The consultation will include a section on whether to have a voluntary or statutory producer responsibility scheme for the collection of non-packaging farm plastics. Valpak believes that a statutory approach will be necessary to ensure that the requirements are met.

There was a previous attempt to establish a national collection and recycling scheme on a voluntary basis in 1994. This was established by the Plastic and Industrial Films Association (PIFA) and polymer manufacturers based on a product levy of £100 / t. This levy paid for the logistics of moving the film to reprocessing and covered the gate fee. The scheme collapsed in 1997 because two importers refused to pay the levy seeing it as an opportunity to undercut the opposition. At present there are a number of small-scale schemes in operation including "Second Life Plastic Wales" and the "Cumbrian Farm Plastics Recycling Scheme".