2008 PRESS RELEASES
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December 19, 2008
VIRGINIA PROGRAMS REMOVE 32,036 POUNDS OF UNWANTED PESTICIDES AND RECYCLE MORE THAN 126,355 POUNDS OF PLASTIC PESTICIDE CONTAINERS
Contact: Marion Horsley, 804.225.3820
The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) and the Virginia Pesticide Control Board announced today the results of two key programs designed to assist with the disposal of unwanted and outdated pesticides and the recycling of empty plastic pesticide containers.
2008 Pesticide Disposal Program
The 2008 Pesticide Disposal Program collected 32,036 pounds of unwanted pesticides at no cost to participants, including 10,003 pounds of liquid pesticides, 7,059 pounds of solid pesticides, 14,297 pounds of bulk liquid pesticides, 177 pounds of homeowner pesticides and 500 pounds of pesticides from golf courses. This year’s service area included the counties of Alleghany, Bland, Botetourt, Buchanan, Carroll, Craig, Dickenson, Floyd, Giles, Grayson, Lee, Montgomery, Pulaski, Roanoke, Russell, Scott, Smyth, Tazewell, Washington, Wise and Wythe and the Cities of Bristol, Clifton Forge, Covington, Galax, Norton, Radford, Roanoke and Salem.
Since its inception, Virginia’s Pesticide Disposal Program has collected and destroyed 1,439,451 pounds of outdated and unwanted pesticides. This year marked the final year of the Program’s first five year rotation throughout the State. In those five years, the disposal covered every area of the state. VDACS will begin the second five-year rotation in 2009 in the following localities: the counties of Accomack, Charles City, Chesterfield, Dinwiddie, Franklin, Goochland, Greensville, Hanover, Henrico, Isle of Wight, James City, Poquoson, New Kent, Northampton, Prince George, Powhatan, Southampton, Surry, Sussex and York, and the cities of Chesapeake, Colonial Heights, Emporia, Hampton, Hopewell, Newport News, Norfolk, Petersburg, Portsmouth, Richmond, Suffolk, Virginia Beach and Williamsburg. Eligible participants are encouraged to contact their local Virginia Cooperative Extension Agent for details.
2008 Plastic Pesticide Container Recycling Program
The 2008 Plastic Pesticide Container Recycling Program collected and granulated a total of 76,957 containers or 126,355 total pounds of properly-rinsed plastic pesticide containers at 29 sites (21 localities and eight licensed dealers). Localities included the counties of Brunswick, Clarke, Dinwiddie, Floyd, Frederick, Greensville, Isle of Wight, Madison, Mecklenburg, New Kent, Northampton, Orange, Prince George, Pulaski, Rockingham, Southampton and Sussex and the cities of Chesapeake and Virginia Beach.
Since its inception, the Plastic Pesticide Container Recycling Program has collected a total of 930,687 containers which equates to well over 1,000,000 pounds of plastic granulated and remanufactured into new products. The program is an environmentally-responsible alternative for the disposal of properly-rinsed plastic pesticide containers. Granulated chips are transported to recycling facilities and fabricated into items such as pallets, fence posts, field drain tiles and parking stops, keeping the containers out of landfills.
To participate in the Plastic Pesticide Container Recycling Program, a locality must apply to VDACS and agree to collect, inspect and store the properly-rinsed containers until granulation. VDACS provides up to $1,875 in reimbursement costs to each participating locality to offset the cost of the program.