CropLife reclassifies process of empty pesticide containers for recycling
CropLife Philippines has begun the reclassification process of empty pesticide containers from hazardous to non-hazardous wastes for recycling.
According to Croplife Executive Director Edilberto de Luna, empty pesticide container management has become “one of the biggest challenges” in the Philippines.
Under the Pesticide Regulatory Policies Implementing Guidelines (2020 Edition), the Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority (FPA) considered it a “shared responsibility” of all stakeholders – the pesticide companies, the network of dealers, farmers and their associations, plantation owns, local government units, accredited waste generators, transporters, treatment stories, and disposal entities.
The FPA has mandated that all used empty pesticides need to be decontaminated before disposal, following the World Health Organization-Food and Agriculture Organizations (WHO-FAO) guidelines, which advocates as options the adoption of triple rinsing and pressure rinsing. The old practice of burying empty containers and their packaging was prohibited.
Right now, de Luna said that the procedures and processes remain complicated. The FPA considered recycling as an option while the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) classified them as hazardous which needed to be destroyed.
Sixty percent of local empty pesticide containers are estimated to be recyclable. This provides an opportunity for the wastes to be converted to usable items but subject to specific restrictions. The remaining 40 percent which cannot be recycled can then be programmed for destruction.
|