Success StoryHelping the Environment through Recycling Pesticide Containers
Helping the Environment through Recycling Pesticide Containers
Author: Danny Adams
Planning Unit: Wayne County CES
Major Program: Small Farm Management
Outcome: Long-Term Outcome
Wayne County farmers have several empty pesticide containers remaining after growing their crops each year. The need for applying herbicides for weed control, applying insecticides for insect control, and fungicides for disease controls allows Wayne County Farmers to be some of the best agriculture producers in the state of Kentucky.
By applying these pesticides Wayne County Farmers are left with several thousand of empty 2.5 gallon containers each year. Having a Pesticide Container Recycling program in Wayne County keeps more than a thousand containers out of Landfills or burnt as a pollutant in the air.
The Kentucky Department of Agriculture, the Wayne County Extension Office and Valley Farm Center an "agriculture supply company" have helped in coordinating a Rinse and Return Pesticide Container Program for several years. More than 1000 containers are recycled every year keeping the pesticide containers out of Landfills. The personnel of the Wayne County Extension Office and the KY Department of Agriculture select a day each year that farmers can bring their pesticide containers to Valley Farm Center for Recycling. The pesticide containers that farmers bring are collected on that date by the Wayne County Extension Office and the KY Dept. of Ag. personnel at Valley Farm Center.
These three organizations along with farmers each year are helping the environment in Wayne County and surrounding areas. As everyone is doing their part it helps our planet with clean water and air. The need to use pesticides keeps America and the World well fed with affordable food.
Until there is a better way. I'm proud to be a participant serving the community of Wayne County through Kentucky State University's Small Farm Program.
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