Drip Irrigation Leader To Further Its Commitment To Turning The
Plastic Waste Stream Into A Supply Stream for Sustainable Agriculture
FRESNO, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–lt;a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/AgTech?src=hash” target=”_blank”gt;#AgTechlt;/agt;–Netafim
USA, a subsidiary of Netafim Ltd. – the global leader of smart
irrigation solutions, has been awarded a $2.01 million grant from the
California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle)
through the state’s Recycled Fiber, Plastic, and Glass Grant Program.
One of five awarded grants, the $2.01 million award will fund the
expansion of Netafim’s closed-loop recycling operation to collect,
shred, wash, and pelletize an additional 9,612 tons per year of used
irrigation tubing at the end of the material’s useful life. The recycled
material will be remanufactured into new irrigation tubing. The
expansion will also contribute to the state’s economic growth with the
creation of 15 new jobs.
Netafim USA first pioneered the process of utilizing recycled content in
the manufacturing of driplines as a way to meet LEED green building
rating and certification requirements. After opening its
California-based recycling facility in 2007, Netafim made significant
investments in research and testing. The company perfected a proprietary
process that enabled the use of recycled content in the manufacturing of
driplines without sacrificing the performance and quality standards that
growers expect from Netafim.
“Today’s farmer is under increased pressure to minimize the
environmental impact of farming and enhance their supply chain
sustainability,” said Mike Hemman, President and CEO of Netafim USA. “As
the industry leader, it is our responsibility to extend our focus beyond
innovative drip irrigation technologies to also include developing and
implementing processes for minimizing the impact that plastic waste has
on the environment.”
The award comes on the heels of Netafim’s launch of Streamline
X ReGen, an innovative dripline designed for short-cycle crop
agricultural applications that contains material from recycled driplines.
“The grant will allow us to expand our recycling operation and
strengthen our commitment to sustainable agriculture. Our recent launch
of Streamline X Regen, our new dripline removal and collection service,
and the irrigation industry’s first wholly-owned recycling facility
underscore our commitment to sustainable agriculture,” added Hemman.
ABOUT NETAFIM USA
Netafim USA, based in Fresno, CA, develops and manufactures drip
irrigation systems for agriculture, landscape & turf, greenhouse
& nursery, mining and wastewater. Netafim offers an extensive range of
irrigation solutions including driplines, filters, sprinklers, valves,
water meters and automation equipment for complete dripline system
installations. For more information go to www.netafimusa.com.
Contacts
Will Ostedt
(310) 556-4443
[email protected]
