Nebraska’s voluntary pesticide container recycling program has reason to shout. Now in its 25^th year, the program has recycled more than 2.27 million pounds of pesticide containers since 1991.

This year clean pesticide containers may be taken to 24 Nebraska sites at no cost to participants, said Clyde Ogg, pesticide safety extension educator with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

“Triple-rinsing and recycling containers is the right thing to do,” Ogg said. “It’s cost-effective, cooperative, and an environmental way to dispose of these containers.”

The program accepts pressure-rinsed or triple-rinsed 1- and 2.5-gallon plastic pesticide or crop oil containers, as well as 15-, 30- or 55-gallon drums. Containers must be clean and drained, inside and out. Caps, labels, booklets, and slipcover plastic labels must be removed. Glued-on paper labels may be left on the container. Rinsate should be returned to the spray tank.

On average, 75,000 pounds of high-density polyethylene (HPDE) plastic are recycled annually in Nebraska, Ogg said. In 2015, Nebraska ranked 19^th nationally, with 83,000 pounds being recycled.

Currently, the clean HPDE plastic is collected and granulated by Ag Container Recycling Council contractors and processed for ACRC-approved use by drain tile (corrugated pipe) manufacturers. Other approved uses include fence posts, sign posts, underground utility conduit, certain industrial pallets, rebar chairs for concrete forms and more.

“The fact that Nebraska’s program has been going strong for 25 years demonstrates responsible and dedicated stewardship by the agricultural community,” Ogg said.

Resources

For more information on the program, how to participate, and guidelines for recycling, visit UNL’s Pesticide Education Safety Program Pesticide Container Recyling website.

For information on how to properly rinse containers see G1736, Rinsing Pesticide Containers.

Rinsing Pesticide Containers (G1736) for proper procedures to ensure safe handling and recycling of these containers. (Used with permission from Fred Whitford, Purdue University; Scott Dallas and John Metzinger, illustrators)

Collection Sites

County collection sites are listed below by category, Sites accepting 15-, 30- and 55-gallon drums are noted.

Year-Round

• Buffalo: Kearney Recycling Center, Kearney, Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Cass: Wiles Bros. Fertilizer, Plattsmouth, Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Cuming: West Point Transfer Station, West Point, Monday through Friday, normal business hours, accepts drums.
• Washington: Washington County Recycling Center, Blair, Saturdays 8 a.m. to noon, accepts drums

May – August

• Antelope: Central Valley Ag, Royal, accepts drums
• Burt: Helena Chemical Company, Oakland, Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Dawes: Solid Waste Association of Northwest Nebraska, Chadron, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., accepts drums.
• Dawson: Country Partners Cooperative, Lexington, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., accepts drums
• Dixon: Central Valley Ag, Newcastle, May 6, 20; June 3, 10; July 8, 15;  Aug. 5, 12. 8 a.m. to noon
• Holt: Central Valley Ag, O’Neill, accepts drums
• Kearney: Cooperative Producers Inc., Minden, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Sarpy: Farmers Union Co-op, Gretna, 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., accepts drums
• Saunders: Reid’s Farmacy, Ashland, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Scotts Bluff: Gering City Landfill, Gering, Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. accepts drums

Open Specific Days

• Clay: Cooperative Producers Inc. (CPI), Sutton, August 11-12, accepts drums
• Dakota: Central Valley Ag, South Sioux City, June and July, Wednesdays, 11 a.m. to noon, accepts drums
• Hamilton: Aurora Cooperative, Aurora, July 25-29, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and Cooperative Producers Inc. (CPI), Giltner, July 28-29, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Lancaster: Midwest Farmers Cooperative, Waverly, June 20, accepts drums; Midwest Farmers Cooperative, Bennet, July 22, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., accepts drums.
• Otoe: Midwest Farmers Co-op, Nebraska City, July 25-29, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., accepts drums

 By Appointment Only

• Burt: Tekamah Transfer Station, Tekamah, year-round by appointment, (402) 374-2929
• Custer: Custer County Recycling, Broken Bow, (308) 870-0313, accepts drums
• Lincoln: North Platte Transfer Station, North Platte, (308) 535-6710, accepts drums

Ag Container Recycling Council

Pesticide container recycling programs such as those in Nebraska and 43 other states are funded by crop protection product manufacturers through the Virginia-based Ag Container Recycling Council (ACRC). ACRC is a voluntary, not-for-profit organization that safely collects and recycles agricultural crop protection, animal health, and specialty pest control product jugs and drums.

ACRC reports that farmers, retailers, and applicators nationally recycle an average of 10 million pounds — 5,000 tons — of containers each year. More than 200 million containers have been recycled in the last two decades, said the ACRC. Laid end to end, they would circle the earth three times.

Every ton of the high-density polyethylene (HPDE) plastic is recycled into products such as field drain tile, which means less “new” plastic is manufactured, saving the equivalent of 450 gallons of gasoline as well as landfill space.  

Nationally about one-fourth, or 1,500, of the nation’s 6,000 ag retailers are involved with the pesticide container recycling program, according to the ACRC.