TUBLAY, Benguet – More than two metric tons of empty pesticide containers collected by the pesticide industry from Benguet farmers were recently brought to Manila for proper recycling and disposal at Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)-accredited facilities.
Environmentally-committed Provincial Board member Florence Tingbaoen, chairman of Benguet Provincial Board’s Committee on Agriculture, was on hand to witness the send-off from this vegetable producing town.
Only a little more than half of the 4.2 metric tons of the collected triple-washed pesticide containers could be accommodated in the gigantic DENR accredited ten-wheeled transporter from the Joechem Environmental Corp engaged by the industry-led sponsors.
A second trip for the remaining empties is planned in the next few weeks.
The more than 100,000 individual empty containers that would have ended up spoiling the Benguet countryside were collected from farmers during the two raffle promos conducted by the local pesticide industry in the province: “Mag-Triple Rinse at Manalo!” and its current “Tulong sa Pagsasaka, Tulong sa Kapaligiran!” where Benguet farmers exchange their triple-rinsed empties for tickets to the raffles.
Recyclable materials from the empties will be refashioned into new materials that will have very limited contact with humans, as entered into agreement with the facilities based in Metro Manila.
The Triple–Rinse program is pursuant to the Provincial Ordinance 11-150 of Benguet, known as the “Empty Pesticide Container Management Ordinance”. This encourages rinsing of empty pesticide bottles for three times and using the water as a spray for agricultural produce again.
This also provides that distributors, dealers and agrochemical companies should lead the collection of these empty fertilizer and pesticide bottles to ensure proper disposal.
The crop science industry livens up again it empty container collection even more with its Clean Up Day Drive slated from September 11 and 18, in cooperation with the local government units and the Cordillera Agriculturist Research Extension Organization./JDP/JBZ-PIA CAR
