Development of a National Pesticide Container Recycling Standard

1
Development of a National Pesticide Container
Recycling Standard

• Pesticide Applicator Certification and Safety
  Education WorkshopAugust 18, 2005
• Nancy Fitz, U.S. EPA
• Larry Schulze, Univ. of Nebraska-Lincoln

2
Overview

• Current status of pesticide container recycling
• Development of a national consensus standard on
  pesticide container recycling
• Discussion

3
Status What is the ACRC?

• The Ag Container Recycling Council (ACRC) was
  formed in 1992 to manage the collection and
  recycling of one-way HDPE (plastic) crop
  protection and other pesticide containers.
• The ACRC is a non-profit organization funded by
  members of CropLife America.
• ACRCs annual budget is 3.99 million.
• ACRC sampled collected plastic to determine
  residues use this data in risk assessment model
  to determine acceptable end uses for the plastic.

4
Status Which containers are recycled by ACRC?

• Plastic High density polyethylene (HDPE) - 2
• Containers that held insecticides, herbicides,
  fungicides, stickers, spreaders, anti-foaming
  agents, crop oils, and micro-nutrients.
• Size A few ounces to 55-gal drums.
• Accept containers from
• Farmers who grow food, fiber and ornamentals.
• Forest, lawn care, right-of-way, golf course and
  structural pest control applicators.

5
Status Amount Collected per Year
6
Status ACRC Results

• Since 1992, more than 74 million pounds of
  plastic have been safely recycled.
• Consistently collect over 6.5 million pounds per
  year almost 8 million in 2004.
• More than 80 cents of every dollar is spent
  directly on collecting containers.
• End uses include field drain tiles, speed bumps,
  parking stops, treated lumber substitutes for
  low-exposure outdoor applications (marine
  pilings, fence posts, etc.)

7
Status Current Challenges

• Non-level playing field ACRC collects all
  industry plastic, even that belonging to
  non-members. In 2004, a CLA member resigned
  because of this.
• ACRCs budget of 3.99 M can pay for a certain
  amount of plastic (around 8 million lbs.) Higher
  collection rate in 2005, so some collections cut
  off before end of year.
• ACRC is investigating more economical methods of
  collecting plastic in areas of low container
  concentration.

8
Consensus Standard Background

• American Society of Agricultural and Biological
  Engineers (ASAE) is an accredited
  standard-setting organization
• Goal develop a standard for safely and
  effectively recycling plastic pesticide
  containers
• Focused on the technical/process/safety aspects
• Based on 10 years of ACRCs experience recycling
  agricultural pesticide pesticide-related
  product containers

9
Consensus Standard Committee

• Co-chairs Nancy Fitz (EPA) and Johnny Berry
  (Syngenta)
• Facilitator Russ Hahn (independent)
• Ag engineers DuPont, Ohio State, USDA, VA Tech
• AAPCO/SFIREG AZ, NE, NY
• AAPSE GA, NE
• ACRC Chair, ex-chair of technical committee,
  communication lead, container manufacturer,
  technical expert
• ASAE Ex Officio participant
• CLA Stewardship chair
• CPDA President 3 companies
• EPA OPP OSW

10
Consensus Standard Scope of Draft Standard

• Scope
• Plastic (HDPE) nonrefillable containers up to 56
  gal.
• Pesticides labeled for agriculture, forestry,
  vegetative management, and structural pest
  control and pesticide-related products (adjuvants
  such as crop oils, stickers, spreaders, and
  surfactants)
• These are containers that CAN safely
  effectively be recycled according to the
  standard.
• Not saying that these containers MUST be handled
  according to the standard.

11
Consensus Standard Draft Standard

• Standard will define processes with necessary
  safeguards
• Rinsing
• Preparing rinsed containers
• Collection
• Inspection
• Rejecting unacceptable containers
• Volume reduction (e.g., granulation)
• Transportation
• Storage
• Processing
• Determining acceptable end-use products
• Manufacturing end-use products
• Recordkeeping

12
Consensus Standard Schedule

• April/May Created committee with broad
  representation
• May 24 Intro conference call
• June 20-21 Meeting to discuss strawman document
• July 7 Meeting to finish discussing strawman
  document
• Late July Circulate revised draft standard
• August Email/conference call discussion
• September Meeting to finalize document
• December Complete ASAE review process

13
Consensus Standard Implications

• The standard will establish a baseline for how to
  recycle plastic pesticide containers safely and
  effectively (e.g., if new organizations or
  companies start recycling programs).
• By itself, the standard will not solve the
  current challenges.
• Once approved, the ASAE standard will be a tool
  that state/federal policy makers could use.

14
Consensus Standard More Info

• ACRC program
• http//www.acrecycle.org/
• ASAE
• http//www.asae.org/
• ASAE Container Recycling Standard (X596)
• Nancy Fitz, 703-305-7385, fitz.nancy_at_epa.gov

15
Discussion

• What are the biggest issues you see with
  pesticide container recycling?
• Is the scope of the draft ASAE standard
  appropriate?
• Are the processes/steps in the draft standard
  appropriate?
• Other suggestions or feedback?