THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, September 18, 1994 TAG: 9409160238
SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER PAGE: 20 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ERIC FEBER, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 90 lines
The Cooperative Extension Service offices in Chesapeake and Virginia Beach have begun a program to protect the environment by reducing the number of plastic pesticide containers that are burned, placed in landfills or left to litter the countryside.
Funded by a grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Extension offices are collecting the pesticide containers and shredding them for recycling.
Last Wednesday, the first of the plastic containers were chopped up at the Mount Trashmore II landfill on Centerville Turnpike in Virginia Beach.
The program has set up two receiving stations: one at the Virginia Beach landfill and another at a trailer behind Hickory Elementary School in Chesapeake.
Both locations will receive the discarded and rinsed containers, hold them in storage units and then have them shredded by a German-made rapid grinder into half-inch plastic strips. The plastic will be shipped to businesses that will turn it into non-food plastic items such as chemical containers and signs.
According to Chesapeake Extension Service Agent Richard Rhodes and Virginia Beach agent Melvin Atkinson, most of these plastic containers come from local farmers and ``commercial applicators,'' usually nurseries, lawn-care businesses and pest exterminators.
Statistics compiled by the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services cite that farmers produce anywhere from 15,000 to 20,000 empty containers each year.
In the past, farmers may have either buried the containers or burned them, emitting unwanted toxins into the air, Rhodes said.
``There are ordinances in both cities banning open air burning,'' Atkinson said ``But farmers are allowed to burn as an agricultural practice. Because of this, they sometimes burn the containers to get rid of them. With this new program we're offering a safer and cleaner alternative and one that recycles, too.''
Nationally, the program is directed by the Agriculture Council Recycling Committee, a national organization set up by various chemical and pesticide companies to help curb pollution and encourage recycling.
The Extension agencies received $3,200 each to start the recycling program. The money was used to arrange for sale of the chopped containers and to purchase several trailers from government surplus to act as holding units for the discarded containers.
Atkinson said farmers and businesses will now take the old chemical containers, triple rinse them according to local ordinances and EPA standards, and haul them to either the Chesapeake or Virginia Beach locations to be shredded.
The program's maiden operation on Wednesday chopped up 700 containers from Chesapeake, 650 from Virginia Beach and more than 1,500 brought in by the Tidewater Fertilizer Co.
The Tri-Rinse Co. has received a contract to oversee the destruction and hauling away of the containers, Atkinson said.
``They have subcontracted the Ag-Chem Co. to bring in a rapid grinder to chop up the containers into small plastic strips,'' Atkinson added.
Both agents stressed that the program is intended for the use of farmers and commercial pesticide applicators and does not accept containers from ordinary household pesticides. Homes that have containers of Ortho and other brand pesticides usually bought at home/-garden stores can simply discard their containers in the household trash.
``I think this is a good program,'' Rhodes said. ``I want to add that the containers in our storage trailer behind the Hickory school poses no health hazard at all. Citizens don't have to worry.''
``This program keeps the farmers from burning them,'' Atkinson said. ``And it keeps the pesticide containers out of the landfills.'' ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by STEVE EARLEY
Pesticide containers were shredded at the Mount Trashmore II
landfill.
AT A GLANCE
Farmers and commercial applicators such as nurseries, lawn-care
services or exterminators wanting to get rid of their empty plastic
pesticide/chemical containers should contact Richard Rhodes,
Chesapeake Cooperative Extension Service, at 547-6348.
Be sure to call ahead. Plastic containers will be accepted by
appointment only. You must have at least 25 or more containers to
discard.
Empty containers should be triple rinsed and hauled to either the
Virginia Beach location at the Mount Trashmore II landfill on
Centerville Turnpike or the Chesapeake site behind Hickory
Elementary School off South Battlefield Boulevard.
by CNB