Proper Pesticide Waste Management Across the U.S.

Pesticide Use and Disposal within Agriculture

States across the U.S. have an economy revolving around agricultural production, within which, the use of pesticides is common practice. Pesticides allow producers to prevent their products from pests and diseases thus lowering production losses. Producers may also stockpile unused pesticides on their property which poses an environmental threat when not properly managed and stored. There is no practical way to monitor or enforce proper disposal among producers, however, there are regulations and practices in place to help. One approach, being collection event opportunities.

Regulations Affecting Pesticide Use

As with many other products that can cause an environmental threat, government regulations are the leading influence on resource conservation and environmental protection for proper pesticide management. For instance, most states require producers (farmers and ranchers) to have a Pesticide Applicators license to purchase pesticide or herbicides. In the Code of Federal Regulations, Title 40 consists of regulations that apply to pesticide waste management. These apply to state government regulations for proper management of pesticides and are the directives which apply to hazardous waste management and disposal companies.

The EPA’s Universal Waste Rule can also apply to pesticides, in offering producers flexibility in simplifying hazardous waste management regulations. If the state has adopted the rule, producers are allowed to bring unused pesticides to 1-day collection events without being registered as RCRA generators.

Collection events are ideal for producers to dispose of excess or expired pesticides and are often provided by state governmental entities such as departments of agriculture. Pesticide collection events help ensure that agriculture chemicals will be disposed of safely and compliantly. There are many RCRA and DOT regulations that effect pesticide collection event operations, management, and disposal, specifically Parts 260-273 in Title 40.

Choosing a Waste Management Vendor to Collect Pesticide Waste

When deciding to partner with an external company to collect your pesticide waste, it’s important to keep in mind the necessity of compliance with state and federal regulations.

When choosing a vendor, there are many resources you can request to determine if they are the right fit. These can include:

• Permits
• Waste transportation capabilities
• Staff resumes
• Experience conducting pesticide collection programs
• Compliance histories
• Insurance coverages

Clean Earth believes that waste generators need a partner, not just a vendor, to limit risks and ensure comprehensive waste management. Learn more about our commitment to solving your biggest waste issues.

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