^{30 March - 1 April 1998 at Kent University,Canterbury, UK}

The Symposium reviewed all those areas which affect the management of pesticide waste and packaging. It identifed the benefits, revealed the issues and showed how good practice can improve both the environment and profits, now and in the future.
The Symposium aimed to be an international event, but focused on Europe and the UK.

The Symposium proved to be the definitive event on this topic.

Proceedings which include written presentations from each speaker, or poster board author, are now available.

These can be ordered for £35 in the EU or £37 elsewhere - postage included.

• Setting the Scene
• Good Farm Practice: Prevention, Minimisation and Treatment of Waste
• On and Off Farm Disposal of Pesticide Waste & Packaging
• Reducing Pesticide Waste Through Improved Machinery Design and Use
• Poster Presentations
• Managing Recovery and Re-use of Pesticide Packaging
• Design of Packaging Systems to Reduce the Problems of Packaging Waste on Farm

SESSION 1

The Symposium began with Chris Hibbitt, Rhone Poulenc Agriculture Ltd reviewing the current and future legislation and assessing the significance of this legislation on waste management practices. Dr Ray Smith, Zeneca Agrochemicals, Fernhurst presented the European Crop Protection Association's (ECPA) container management strategy, whilst Dr Andy Gilbert, CSL, York reviewed the design and performance characteristics of pesticide packaging. Mike Would of Case, North Hykeham analysed past and current design criteria for crop sprayers and the influence of waste management on sprayer design.

The session concentrated on the end user of agricultural pesticides. It explored the rules and regulations the farmer had to contend with and provided some practical solutions.

Invited speakers included Jeff Cooper, The Environment Agency, Peterborough, outlined the regulatory aspects of pesticide and packaging waste arising on a farm. Caroline Drummond, Linking Environment And Farming (LEAF), Stoneleigh detailed how the Integrated Crop Management approach is applied to pesticide waste issues by LEAF farmers. John Allan of Cropwell Consultancy, Nottingham described practical examples of how pesticide waste has been eliminated, or minimised, and dealt with on the farm.

This session explored all the routes available for the disposal of single trip packaging. Dr Dr Ray Smith of Zeneca Agrochemicals, Fernhurst quantifed the needs and benefits of effective container rinsing for the disposal of empty containers both on and off the farm.

Patrick Goldsworthy, British Agrochemicals Association (BAA), Peterborough presented the results of the BAA’s extensive study of on-farm burning and burial, its recommendations and future actions. Peter Carter, consultant, Bishop Strortford described a study into the benefits and risks associated with burning pesticide packs on farm, as well as the recommendations for good practice. Peter Jones of Biffa Waste Services, High Wycombe examined the benefits, processes and costs of using a disposal contractor to remove pesticide and packaging waste from the farm, and the responsibilities of the farmer and the contractor in such an arrangement.

This session examined approaches to the cleaning and decontamination of sprayers. Speakers reported studies, quantifying the effects of different design parameters and methods of sprayer cleaning, on the requirements for effective cleaning. Injection metering and other engineering techniques were examined in relation to their ability to minimise the need for the disposal of unused diluted pesticide and machine decontamination.

Also examined was the interface between the sprayer, the formulation and the packaging. Papers examined methods for assessing the performance of induction hoppers fitted with container rinse systems and closed transfer systems. The performance of container rinsing systems and sprayer decontamination in the practical environment was also reviewed.

The themes introduced in platform presentations were expanded by contributed poster presentations.

Time was reserved within the Programme for a Poster Session. During this time the poster authors present discussed and debated their findings with delegates.

The ECPA strategy emphasises that proper management of empty crop protection chemical containers is essential to maintain the industry’s reputation as an environmentally responsible partner in agriculture and society.

To support this strategy, (Reduce, Re-use, Recycle), container management schemes are being operated in many countries where up to 64% recovery rates have been achieved.

Speakers from Australia, the United States of America, Canada and Germany demonstrated how their schemes operated within varied and complex legislation and how they achieved environmental and economic targets. As well as examining operational recovery schemes in other countries, delegates were able to evaluate appropriate measures for the UK.

The session concentrated on the development of formulations and packaging systems which can reduce the generation of waste packaging.

Dr D Dohnert of BASF, Germany emphasised how important it is to develop a formulation from an active ingredient that in addition to its field performance, must be physically compatible with its packaging and that the whole system is convenient to handle by the end user.

Austin Davies of Rhone-Poulenc, Ongar, described how water soluble film used to pack a pesticide product can eliminate the problem of having to dispose of pesticide contaminated packaging by the end user.

The final part of the session concentrated on the development and introduction of the Ecomatic re-use/refillable packaging system. Speakers from Cyanamid Agriculture and AgrEvo UK Ltd covered both the technical and product registration challenges that this system posed.