Agricultural chemical products have been used for several
decades in Texas and throughout the United States to control pests,
increase yields, or enhance chemical activity on crops. There are
four categories of such products:
- pesticides
- fertilizers
- treated seed
- liquid spray additives
Correctly using these products and safely recycling,
reconditioning, or disposing of the empty containers is a must
for all agricultural users. Proper use and management practices can
help keep you and others safe. Unusable or waste pesticides can be
disposed of at regional waste pesticide
collections. However, there are limited options for disposing
of pesticide containers.
Currently, properly rinsed agricultural chemical containers are
not classified as hazardous waste, and in many cases, are disposed
of in sanitary landfills. However, due to limited capacity problems
and more stringent state regulatory requirements, many landfills
have already begun to refuse these containers. Other methods once
used to destroy these containers, such as burning or burying them,
are no longer viable disposal options. In Texas, open burning of
pesticide containers is illegal and disposal at specially
designed incineration facilities is often too costly for the
average applicator.
Burying these containers may lead to serious environmental
consequences, such as groundwater contamination. Today, many
environmentally concerned land developers, buyers, and lenders
require that environmental audits be conducted on a property
before it is purchased or sold. For these reasons, burying
agricultural chemical containers is not recommended.
If disposal options are limited, what are the alternatives? In
Texas, both government and industry are researching and promoting
alternatives such as recycling. However, these containers
must first
be properly rinsed.
