Pesticides are an integral part of any agricultural activity. Pesticide packaging varies from plastic containers, metallic drums as well as polythene. Due to the frequency in which farmers use pesticides on their farm, there is a high environmental and public health risk. The risk stems from improperly disposing Empty Pesticide Containers (EPCs).
In many developing countries, Kenya included, farmers are unaware of the health and environmental risks of the improper disposal of EPCs. This is especially so among the smallholder farmers.
It is very common to find households re-using these EPCs for storing fuel or even food and water. Re-using EPCs is done in oblivion to the fact that it is impossible to remove all traces of toxic chemicals. This is clearly an unsafe practice that we must discourage.
Charting the way forward
The problem at hand affects all of us as stakeholders in the agricultural sector. It is with this understanding that CGA joined the Agrochemicals Association of Kenya (AAK) to chart a way forward for the better management of EPCs and mitigate possible hazards. AAK is the umbrella organization in Kenya for manufacturers, formulators, repackers, importers, consultants, distributors, farmers and users of pesticides in Kenya.
In a breakfast meeting organized by AAK and held on the 30th of November 2018, stakeholders proposed several strategies as an undertaking towards the sustainable management of EPCs.
Proposed Strategies
Key among the strategies is sensitizating farmers on the risks derived from improperly disposing EPCs. CGA’s Chief Executive Officer Mr. Anthony Kioko pledged his support in working with AAK to sensitize as many farmers to take up the aggregation of EPCs for easier collection by recyclers as a more sustainable strategy. “We have been working with over three thousand farmer groups. Once we have collection points set up in their proximity, it will be easy to have the containers aggregated and taken back for recycling”, he said.
Nicholas Muendo from the Pest Control Products Board noted that for the EPCs management to succeed, AAK needed to implement a take back system. He also noted that because of certification requirements, large scale farmers were well organized in making sure that EPCs were properly disposed.
Agro-dealers were urged to act as the main collection points and create awareness on recycling as the best way to sustainably manage EPCs.