Agrochemical companies support ordinance on collection and disposal of empty pesticide containers

Date:04-19-2011

 A proposed ordinance to regulate the collection and proper disposal of empty pesticide containers in the province Benguet (the Philippines) is now being perfected following the support of some agro-chemical companies.

Board member Apolinario Camsol authored an ordinance, now on second reading, mandates the collection and proper disposal of empty pesticide containers within the province with penalty provisions.

The ordinance mandates all agrochemical companies, distributors, and dealers in the province to collect their empty pesticide containers and to encourage farmers to bring their empty pesticide containers to designated areas in the barangays and municipalities.

Pesticide containers pose hazard to health and the environment and are potential sources of contamination and pollution. This may now be addressed should the measure be finally passed.

It has been noted that some farmers or pesticide users indiscriminately throw used or empty pesticide containers along canals, dikes, rivers, and creeks unmindful of the danger it poses to the environment, the explanatory note stated.

Camsol disclosed that in a meeting last April 14, some agrochemical companies such as Bayer, Croplife, and Sygenta together with Crop Protection Association of the Philippines and the Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority (FPA), are willing to buy back not only bottled containers but all pesticide plastic and paper containers. They likewise gave inputs in enhancing the proposed ordinance.

In some towns where they have been buying pesticide containers at P10.00 per kilo. But farmers find the buy-back price somewhat cheap, according to Camsol.
The agro-chemical companies are willing to give in kind their products in return instead of cash, Camsol said.

The proposed measure also extends and strengthens the empty pesticide containers disposal practice in other towns of the province with the support of the provincial government and the local government units.

Source: Philippine Information Agency