Success StorySaving the Environment one Pesticide Container at a Time



Saving the Environment one Pesticide Container at a Time

Author: Matthew Adams

Planning Unit: Hardin County CES

Major Program: Pesticide Safety – Plant Pests

Plan of Work: Agricultural Integrated Pest Management

Outcome: Initial Outcome

Pesticide usage is a necessary part of modern conventional agriculture. One issue with pesticide use that most don’t think of is the amount of used plastic containers in which the pesticides are purchased in. A resurgence in use of these smaller containers has also come due to herbicide resistance issues promoting farmers to use different chemicals that are used at lower rates. Many of these containers will have very small traces of pesticides left on the inside of the containers, making them unsuitable for burning or disposal in a landfill. In August 2017, the Hardin County Cooperative Extension Service, along with Hardin County Farm Bureau and the Kentucky Department of Agriculture, conducted their annual “Rinse and Return” Program, where over 16 farms from Hardin County, along with 3 farm supply stores, representing over 40,000 acres of farmland, returned triple rinsed pesticide containers to a collection point at the Hardin County Road Department Garage. From there, the containers were baled, and loaded on a truck, where they were then ground and recycled into plastic fencing material or used to make more pesticide containers. Local farmers are very appreciative of our efforts and many stated that they would gladly recycle containers through our program rather than find other avenues for disposal of these containers. Proper disposal of these containers are vital to insure protection of our county’s clean water supply.






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