Agrecovery: a new, better way to dispose of empty agricultural chemical containers!

Agrecovery is a voluntary product stewardship programme for the collection of triple rinsed agrichemical plastic containers (60 litre and under). This programme is for the agriculture, horticulture and forestry sectors, and has been developed to provide a sustainable and environmentally preferred alternative to land filling and/or burning containers.

Chemical supply companies that support the programme collect a levy that is placed on every litre of eligible products sold into the New Zealand market. This levy (13 cents per litre) is passed on to the foundation, and this pays for the costs of running the programme. Take back is free for all eligible containers (Agrecovery brand owner’s products).

Agrecovery will take back HDPE (Grade 2) plastic containers (60litre and under) provided they have been triple rinsed and cleaned. Please note that only products / brands that belong to the companies that support Agrecovery by paying the levy can be accepted. The Agrecovery website has the details on what brands / products are eligible, and where the collection sites are located.

The majority of agrichemical companies are supportive of Agrecovery, but Agrecovery will not collect containers from any brand owner that does not support the programme. If a customer has other containers they must purchase some “user pay stickers” from the Agrecovery website www.agrecovery.co.nz

The below files provide basic information about the Agrecovery programme.

Questions and Answers (pdf 49kb)
User Pay (pdf 51kb)
User Guide (pdf 42kb)

For anyone with domestic quantities of household hazardous wastes (that is, up to 20 litres or 20kg of any one waste), we provide a free disposal service at our 2 HazMobile Days in Kaiapoi and Rangiora. Click on the HazMobile link for more information on what we will accept at the HazMobile. The next HazMobile Days will be in early 2008.

If you do find a large quantity of argicultural chemicals when you're cleaning out a shed or garage, please don't take them to the HazMobile. Contact the Council, and we will send out a Registration Form for the AgChem Collection. Please leave the transportation of these hazardous wastes to the experts.