Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Control Agency, or the Hazardous Waste representative at the nearest EP A
Regional Office for guidance.
3.
Containers
Try to avoid the need to dispose of pesticide containers as wastes. For
example, you may be able to:
•
use containers that are designed to be refilled by the pesticide dealer or
the chemical company
•
arrange to have the empty containers recycled or reconditioned
•
use soluble packaging.
If you have containers that you must be disposed of, be sure to rinse them,
if possible. Rinsed containers are easier to dispose of than unrinsed containers.
a.
Refillable Containers
Some types of containers are designed to be refilled with pesticide repeat-
edly during their lifetime, which may be many years. They usually are not
designed to be triple rinsed or pressure rinsed by the pesticide user. When nec-
essary, they are cleaned by the pesticide dealer or chemical company before
refilling. Common types of refillable containers include minibulks and
small-volume returnables.
b.
Recyclable and Reconditionable Containers
You may be able to take your rinsed metal or plastic containers to a facil-
ity that can recycle them. Some 55- and 30-gallon drums can be returned to
the dealer, manufacturer, or formulator to be reconditioned and reused.
c.
Soluble Containers
Soluble containers are designed to be placed, unopened, into the mixing
tank. The container dissolves in the solvent (usually water) in the tank. Only
the overpackaging remains, and it may be disposed of as nonhazardous waste
in a sanitary landfill.
d.
Triple-Rinsed or Pressure-Rinsed Containers
Containers that have been correctly triple-rinsed or pressure-rinsed usually
may be disposed of as regular trash in a sanitary landfill, unless prohibited by
