Ch.16: Managing Pesticide Waste

2. Reducing Waste

• Best way to cut disposal cost: don't generate waste in the first place.
• Second: use excess pesticide according to the label (also reduces risk to people and the environment).
• Buy only what you need for a single season; date products and use older ones first.

3. Two Laws (know the split)

• FIFRA (Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act) governs the sale, distribution, and use of pesticides.
• RCRA (Resource Conservation and Recovery Act) governs pesticides after they are disposed of. (Review Q1 tests this — the HMTA is the trap.)

4. Hazardous Waste

• Some pesticides/formulations are regulated as hazardous waste, with much more stringent disposal rules.
• Find out if a product is hazardous for disposal by checking the SDS and asking your pesticide distributor.

5. Disposal Programs

• Ag/commercial users cannot use regular household waste or recycling — not even for empty, rinsed containers.
• Many states run disposal programs for farmers and commercial users → check your state Department of Agriculture pesticide program.
• The Pesticide Stewardship Alliance has a state pesticide disposal database.
• Your state environmental agency has jurisdiction over disposal, and state/local laws may be stricter than the label.

6. Container Disposal

• First step: make sure the container is empty. Wear PPE and follow label rinsing instructions.
• Only triple-rinsed (or equivalent) containers may be recycled or landfilled. An unrinsed container may be hazardous waste if its product is listed as hazardous.
• Options in order, most → least preferred:

1. Return to the dealer for reuse/refilling
2. Recycle
3. State pesticide disposal program
4. Approved landfill

• It is illegal to bury or burn pesticide containers in most states.

7. Special Container Types

8. Other Wastes

• Full or partially full liquid/dry containers may need to be managed as hazardous waste.
• Sanitary landfills generally do NOT accept liquid wastes of any sort.
• Unwanted: a dealer might take back unopened products. Banned: may not be returnable → dispose properly. Unidentifiable: treat as hazardous waste.
• Best routes for these: a state/local disposal program or a private hazardous waste hauler.
• Never mix chemicals together for disposal, even if you think you know what they are.
• Jar tests: dispose per the label — usually dilute with much water + apply to a labeled site, or use a hazardous waste program; never pour down the drain or into the trash.
• Spills: usually treat spilled pesticide + contaminated soil/absorbent as waste; landspreading may be an option only if the pesticide is labeled for that crop/site — check your state regulatory agency.

9. Be Responsible — Guidance Sources

• The overriding rule: be responsible and avoid liability for harm.
• Get official guidance from: the pesticide label, your state/county/municipal waste disposal agency, and your state pesticide regulatory agency.

10. Table 16.1 — Waste-Reduction Highlights

• Unidentifiable: keep products in original containers with the label legible.
• Damaged/leaking: store dry formulations on shelves ABOVE liquids, protect from temperature/moisture, place leaking containers inside another container, inspect often.
• Residue in container: triple rinse and pour rinsates into the tank mix.
• Leftover mix: calculate the amount needed and calibrate; store unused mix in a labeled tank or apply to a labeled site.
• Equipment rinsates: rinse at the treatment site and apply rinsate to a labeled site.
• Saturated clothing: dispose of as pesticide waste.

Key Vocabulary