Social Responsibility Edition: July 2014
WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DISPOSAL OF EMPTY PESTICIDE CONTAINERS IN SOUTH AFRICA? Empty containers probably pose the single biggest environmental risk associated with the entire crop chemical industry, between product manufacture and application onto a crop. In most developed countries, the disposal of such empty pesticide containers is strictly regulated and controlled by law. Despite considerable effort and the best intentions of AVCASA1 , there is still no statutory or legislated process governing the disposal of empty pesticide containers in South Africa. •
That means there is no legal obligation for suppliers or distributors to take back empty containers.
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And as such, in South Africa the responsibility for the empty container problem essentially rests with the end-user, who is normally the farmer.
Due to this lack of regulation, a lax attitude towards responsible disposal of empty pesticide containers now dominates South African agriculture. This approach is not sustainable, and if South African agriculture is to be considered a global competitor, some change is required. AVCASA has created various references to help manage empty pesticide containers and obsolete stocks more responsibly. To help farmers, there are 3 recently listed links on the Association’s website: http://www.avcasa.co.za/Home.aspx): 1. A list of approved recyclers of empty plastic containers 2. Guidelines for the disposal of empty plastic containers 3. Guideline for the disposal of obsolete pesticides.
AVCASA (Association of Veterinary and Crop Associations of South Africa), a Section 21 company not for gain, was established in 1958 to represent companies involved in the crop protection and animal health products industry in South Africa.
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INTRODUCING ECOSYSTEMS: A plastic recycling operation in KZN, specifically focused on responsible processing of empty pesticide containers In line with AVCASA’s recommendations, Farmers Agri-Care recently reached a co-operation agreement Ecosystem, a KZN-based plastic recycler, approved by AVCASA. •
Ecosystems is based in Empangeni, owned and run by Gavin Eichler.
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Ecosystems will collect empty containers from anywhere in KZN, provided they have been correctly triple-rinsed (see next article). Note that 250 empties are needed to warrant off-farm collection. Neighbours can group together in order to reach this number; Gavin Eichler says this is working well, as the initiative gathers momentum.
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Containers and plastics of all types are collected and chipped according to the colour of the plastic.
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Downstream, the chipped material is then used by another company in Empangeni to manufacture plastic electrical products like electrical conduit piping, connectors and cable fittings. This company also employs handicapped people from a local community.
Ecosystems will collect loads of 250 empty containers directly from farms
All types of plastic can be recycled by Ecosystems. Here old Osatu knapsacks are chipped to prepare for recycling
Gavin Eichler says: “So far, the operation is going extremely well. We’ve already had to buy a bigger machine, and now chip up to 500 x 20-litre containers a day. That’s a significant number of drums that have been taken out of the system, and disposed of in a responsible way. As more farmers come on board, this number will grow, and we’ll make a really meaningful difference to agriculture in KZN.” Roy Cackett (MD of Farmers Agri-Care) says: “The whole agricultural chain has an obligation to commit to responsible disposal of empty pesticide containers. One day soon this will become a stringent legal requirement, so if we all make a conscious decision to change our mind-sets now, it will be less onerous later. This is one issue that we can’t ignore, and we must take seriously. With just a few changes to on-farm practices, we can all make a meaningful contribution to sustainable agriculture.”
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THE RECYCLING MIND-SET STARTS ON THE FARM: Triple-rinsing is critical to responsible recycling Gavin Eichler says it is essential for the empty pesticide containers to be triple-rinsed to remove any residues before chipping. This is a simple procedure that is easy to do, saves money, and contributes to good environmental stewardship. •
Test have shown that un-rinsed containers can hold as much as 5% of the product’s active ingredient.
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Suspension concentrate (SC) formulations like Ametryn or Atrazine can take considerable effort to remove all traces of the product from the plastic container. Following the triple rinse process on the back page of this newsletter will adequately address this problem.
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If only 5% of the active ingredient remains, then up to R60 can be wasted with each 20-litre container.
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It also means a 5% under-application onto the field, resulting in poor product performance.
Farmers need to introduce two simple steps into their spraying operation in order to commit to responsible recycling: 1. Triple rinse all containers according to the process on the back page of this edition. This must become a standard procedure. (See back page for the full process.) 2. And then store these clean empties for collection by Ecosystems. Once they have 250 containers, they can be collected by Gavin – call him at 083 3084818 or gavin@ecosystems.co.za
WHAT TO DO WITH UNWANTED PESTICIDES: Apart from empty containers, unwanted or unused pesticides pose an even greater risk on farms. The best way to manage this problem is for farmers to ensure products are used each season, and no half-empty drums are carried forward. Again, in the absence of any statutory regulation and formal disposal guidelines, the AVCASA website is the point of reference for any situation involving unwanted pesticides, see: http://www.avcasa.co.za/Home.aspx
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