Bugging the EPA

CHRIS CARLSON

In a recent letter to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Solid Waste Management Association (SWANA) pushed for mandatory recycling of pesticide containers. A rule, SWANA asserts, would demonstrate the EPA's commitment to product stewardship and recycling, as well as divert the majority of pesticide containers from municipal solid waste management programs.

Alleviating this burden, according to the letter, would also prevent those containers from being illegally dumped.

“This rule is critical to prevent pesticide containers from finding their way to municipal recycling centers, which can contaminate the waste stream of conventional recycling programs, in turn, reducing the market value of recovered materials,” said John Skinner, executive director and CEO of SWANA, in a press release.