There will be circumstances when agrochemicals in store need to be disposed of safely. They may no longer be required or may be out of date, or the packaging may be broken or the container damaged. Similarly, deposits of spillage clean-ups, discarded items grossly contaminated with agrochemicals, contaminated aqueous waste such as animal dips, and empty containers must be disposed of safely.

The following general steps should be observed during disposal of waste:

Agrochemical waste should never be dumped indiscriminately

Agrochemicals should never be disposed of so as to cause any risk to people, animals, crops, water supplies or the environment.

First of all, the supplier should be asked if he would accept the waste for disposal.

Whenever possible, waste should be disposed of through a company or persons licensed to handle waste disposal. Advice should be sought from the supplier, local authority or community leader.

Accumulation of waste should be avoided. Waste should be disposed of as soon as possible.

The user should read the label on the package or container for any specific advice on waste disposal.

Empty agrochemical containers should never be reused except possibly, if in good condition, to contain an identical product transferred from a deteriorated or leaking container. All other containers should always be cleaned thoroughly before disposal. They may be cleaned in accordance with the labeled instructions. In the absence of instructions, rinse the containers in water successively at least three times. Care should be taken to ensure that the water used for rinsing does not contaminate the environment; particularly drinking-water, for example.

Liquid containers should be drained out before cleaning. Ideally cleaning should take place when a spray mixture is being prepared so that the drained material and the rinsing liquid can be added to form a part of that mixture. In other instances the rinsing should be collected for subsequent disposal elsewhere. After cleaning, the containers should be punctured in several places or crushed to make them unusable, and stored in a secure compound until their disposal is arranged. Packages of dry powders and granules must be shaken out thoroughly into a mixing vessel or the applicator tank.

Containers may be buried on premises owned or occupied by the agrochemical user. The burial site must be chosen carefully so that there can be no risk of pollution to surface water or groundwater. The approval or the advice of the local authority should be sought beforehand. The containers should be buried to a depth of at least 1 meter below the surface and below the level of any land drains (figure 27). The area used should be fenced or marked with warning signs. A record should be kept of the dates and the material buried.

It should be possible to obtain the permission of the local authority to have a common disposal site, such as a landfill, for several users. It should allow secure burial of waste to a depth of at least I meter below the surface and away from any land drains or water courses so that there is no risk of seepage from the site which might cause pollution.

When waste packaging is to be burnt, the user should ensure that:

    • Burning takes place in an open space at least 15 meters from a public highway and not in a location where any smoke produced is likely to drift over persons or livestock or move towards housing or business premises;

 

    • A perforated metal drum or a fabricated incinerator is used for the bonfire;

 

    • All containers are opened and placed on a very hot fire a few at a time;

 

    • The fire is supervised constantly and care is taken to avoid breathing any smoke produced;

 

  • The fire is extinguished after use; any residues resulting from the operation are buried as described earlier

 

For more information on disposal of containers and waste, click the following link:

http://actrav.itcilo.org/actrav-english/telearn/osh/kemi/pest/pesti2.htm