ICERD & Field Alliance (TFA) organize a Study Visit on Pesticides Waste Containers Management for the delegates from Laos and Thailand and Cambodia, Vietnam, 8-9 October, 2018.

ICERD in collaboration with the Field Alliance (TFA) organize a Study Visit on Pesticides Waste Containers Management for the delegates from Laos and Thailand and Cambodia (who were the government officers and CSO to learn the experiences from Vietnam to further lead this development in SE Asia countries. The study visit was taken place from 8-9 October, 2018.

Mobilization of contribution budgets from Pesticide Companies for disposal of empty pesticide containers in the South of Vietnam

> In addition, ICERD has also attended to relevant regional events (meetings/workshops/forums) annually organized.

Management of the empty pesticide containers after use in Vietnam

presented by Ngo Tien Dung

In 2016, the two Ministries, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment issued  the Joint Circular No 05/2016 guiding of the collection, transportation and disposal of empty pesticide containers after use.

Key points of Joint Circular No: 05/2016

> The Tanks are located in community production sites

> Density: There must be at least 01 tank per 03 hectares of annual crops, and 01 tank/perennial crops

> There are specific regulations on materials for building tanks, sizes, lids, and the door of tanks …

> Empty pesticide containers are packed in special packaging for transportation (have specific regulations)

> Empty pesticide containers collected from the tanks shall be transported to the disposal according to the provisions of the Minister of Natural Resources and Environment’s Circular No. 36/2015 / TT-BTNMT on the management of hazardous waste

> Empty pesticide containers in tank they must be transferred to acredited incinarators for disposal according to regulations on management of hazardous waste.

> The vehicle for transport the empty pesticide containers must be registered as a specialized vehicle, have a practice license

Pesticide users/farmers are responsible for: place the empty pesticide containers into the tanks, separately pesticide packaging with other wastes

Provincial People’s Committees have the responsibilities: allocate funds and direct district-level People’s Committees to organize the collection and disposal

District People’s Committees have the following responsibilities: Management of transfering empty pesticide containers from the Commune People’s Committee to the acredited incinarators for disposal

Commune People’s Committees have the responsibility: Build tanks, storage areas (if any); disseminating and guiding pesticide users to collect the containers to store in the tanks

> The provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD) guidence on the collection and training

> The provincial Department of Natural Resources and Environment guidence on the transportation and disposal of empty pesticide containers

Issues and challenges

The implementation of the empty pesticide containers is still very limited due to some difficulties and challenges such as:

> Budget for disposal of empty pesticide containers is very limited. Budget more or less it depends on the interest of the leaders of the provinces.

> The vehicle for transport the empty pesticide containers must be registered as a specialized vehicle, have a practice license

> Because do not collect for disposal, when the tank is full, farmers burn them

> The rainwater washed away from the packaging into the environment

> The contains not only pesticide containers but also other wastes

> Limited the number of tanks it is not convenient for collection

Some innitatives

Mobilization of contribution budgets from Pesticide Companies for management of empty pesticide containers in the South of Vietnam (by Plant Protection Department – MARD)

Phase 1 from the winter-spring crop 2012 – 2013 until 2017

This period only one pesticide enterprises “Loc Troi Group AGPPS (An Giang Plant Protection Joint Stock Company)” contribute to the collection and disposal of pesticides.

Phase 2 from 2017 to 2021

The first year (year 2017) had 18 contributing enterprises, by 2018 there was 25 enterprises contribute funds.

Training on safe use of pesticides, management of empty pesticide packages, triple-rinsing the pesticide container, IPM…

Process

The pesticide company contributes money to Southern Regional Centre for Plant Protection (SRCPP) – PPD, SRCPP in collaboration with provincial Plant Protection Sub Department (PPSD) to plan and organize the activities, such as: training for the communities, construction of cement tank, mobilization of collection and stored in the cement tanks in the communes, collection from the tanks and transprt to the Accredited incinerators for burning along international standards.

Training including on safe use of pesticides, management of empty pesticide packages, triple-rinsing the pesticide container, IPM…

Management on empty pesticide containers in Hanoi

Provincial People’s Committees provide annual budget for the disposal of empty pesticide containers after use for the 4,000 ha of vegetable.

The establishment of the bins for storing of empty pesticide containers in the 4,000 ha of vegetables, totaling over 8,000 bins. With 02 bins per one ha.

The bins, they are reused empty chemical containers after use (not pesticides) for storing the empty pesticide containers. (size: Capacity of 160 liters, 1.2 meters high)

Collection, transportation and disposal are strictly implemented in the localities.

Mobilization of community resourses for management of empty pesticide containers (within Project REAL activities)

Activities:

> Mobilized and encouraged farmers, local institutions to contribute the money for disposal of pesticide containers.

> Constructed cement tank, mobilization of collection and stored in the cement tanks in the communes, collection from the tanks and transport to the incinerators for burning along international standards.

> Training including on PRR, management of empty pesticide packages, triple-rinsing the pesticide container, IPM…

> Total of 293 cement tanks were constructed for disposal of pesticide containers in 5 provinces: Bac Giang, Lao Cai, Ninh Binh, Quảng Binh, Yen Bai (especially 20 communes within REAL Project)

Examples of the implementation of management of empty pesticide containers after use

Recommendations

> Review the implementation of Joint Circular 05 on management of empty pesticide containers after using in order to improve enforcement.

> At farm level, more efforts need to be made to strengten the management of empty pesticide containers and adopt sustainable farming practices to reduce pesticide use.

> Includion in the law that pesticide companies pay fees for the disposal of empty pesticide containers