Under the Regional Water and Land Plan on-farm burial was permitted depending on the type of waste and location of the waste dump, Irving said.
"Burning of most non-natural farm waste is forbidden under the Regional Air Plan. We encourage rural recycling schemes such as Plasback and Agrecovery."
In September, a farm manager was convicted and fined $3000 plus court costs for burning farm rubbish, including tyres and plastic silage wrap.
The farm manager's employer, Cool Haven, was also convicted and paid $6000 in reparation.
The Regional Council could offer advice on best practice, teach farmers how to avoid generating waste if alternative options were available and put farmers in contact with rural waste contractors who could remove waste materials from the farm for recycling, Irving said.
Western Bay District Council utilities manager Kelvin Hills said the council was providing financial support and suggesting potential farms for the survey.
At present it had no set rules regarding regulations about disposing of waste.
"Farmers can contact a wide range of services in the private sector who can deal with farm plastics and other wastes."
Agrecovery sales and marketing manager Duncan Scotland said nearly 8 per cent of its 10,000 members were from the Bay of Plenty. It was established in 2005.
According to its statistics, intensive agrichemical use generally had the best practices with regards to handling, storage and recycling practices of agrichemicals and related packaging, he said.
Federated Farmers Bay of Plenty provincial president Rick Powdrell said any survey that gained a better understanding of waste in any field, whether urban or rural, was helpful.
"Many farmers have been very proactive in taking up the Agrecovery programme but unfortunately it's about to cease taking silage wrap so we are going to be back in a situation where there will be limited opportunities to get rid of it."
Recycling was important and if that was not available farmers had to handle it in the best manner they could, he said.
