Program recycles more than 128,000 pounds of plastic pesticide containers

The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services has announced the results of the 2014 recycling program for plastic pesticide containers.

The program collected and granulated a total of 128,226 pounds of properly rinsed, empty plastic pesticide containers at 32 sites throughout the state, including 19 localities, 11 licensed dealers and commercial pesticide applicators and two private agricultural producers. The 2014 program experienced significant growth, collecting nearly 40 percent more pounds than in the previous year.

Participating localities included the counties of Accomack, Brunswick, Culpeper, Dinwiddie, Frederick, Greensville, Isle of Wight, Madison, Mecklenburg, Northampton, Orange, Prince George, Rockingham, Southampton, Suffolk, Surry, Sussex and the cities of Chesapeake and Virginia Beach.

Since its inception, the Plastic Pesticide Container Recycling Program has collected more than 1.4 million pounds of plastic in Virginia that have been granulated into chips, transported to recycling facilities and remanufactured into new products such as highway sign posts, fence posts, field drain tiles, underground utility conduit and composite platforms for intermediate bulk containers. The program is an environmentally responsible alternative for the disposal of pesticide containers that would otherwise end up in landfills.

Virginia’s Plastic Pesticide Container Recycling Program is available at no cost to participants through a partnership with the Ag Container Recycling Council (ACRC). To participate, a locality must apply to VDACS and agree to collect, inspect and store the properly rinsed containers until granulation. VDACS provides reimbursement assistance to each participating locality to help offset the cost of the program which is available statewide every year, Since 1992, the ACRC , which is comprised of pesticide manufacturers and distributors,  has voluntarily funded the collection and recycling of pesticide containers through a nationwide network of contractors that provide the granulation of containers in states at no cost to the consumers or the state. Over that period, close to 140 million pounds of containers have been collected and recycled at no cost to pesticide users. In Virginia contractor services are provided by USAg Recycling.

For more information on the plastic pesticide container recycling program, including contact information for staff, pesticide users should go to VDACS’ website at www.vdacs.virginia.gov/pesticides/recycling.shtml.