Turning plastic into fence posts for Kiwi farms

A new partnership is finding a creative rural use for milk bottles.

Fonterra has teamed up with start-up business Future Post, to turn Anchor Light-Proof milk bottles and other soft plastics into fence posts for Kiwi farms.

Fonterra's Sustainability and Environment manager, Larisa Thathiah says the posts are an innovative way to improve on-farm sustainability.

"This partnership provides farmers with a more environmentally-friendly fencing option, made from the packaging of our farmers' milk, which is pretty special."

There is already excitement about the product, says Thathiah, with a lot of interest at a weekend open day, where people were able to touch and feel the posts and watch nails being pounded into the plastic.

The Packaging Forum is also involved in the process, by providing soft plastic, which is blended with milk bottles to create the new fence posts.

Lyn Mayes from The Packaging Forum told Mike Hosking, the first batches of posts are "all ready to go."

Listen to Mike Hosking interview Lyn Mayes about Future Post below:

The posts are black and round and weigh about 10kg says Mayes. They are also very durable.

"The plastic posts will last around 50 years and they don't break."

Mayes says the plastic posts will be helpful for farmers who have issues with timber fence posts breaking, and for the wine industry where treated timber can't be used.

The posts will be available in the North Island from January, and from mid-year in the South Island.