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Questions and answers about the agrichemical collection

What are we doing?

The Ministry for the Environment will continue to lead a three-year national programme, to 30 June 2009, to address the problem of unwanted or old agrichemicals sitting around on rural properties. We are providing support to regional councils to run agrichemical collections in their regions. The Ministry has accepted responsibility for disposing of the agrichemicals. The chemicals will be disposed of in a safe and environmentally sound manner, by specialist hazardous waste handlers.

Why are we doing it?

The Ministry is committed to promoting the safe collection and disposal of unwanted agricultural chemicals. Our current focus is on the agriculture sector that uses a variety of chemicals, primarily for pest and weed management.

Some of these chemicals have been deregistered or are obsolete. Many are inappropriately stored and may even be located in farm waste dumps. Some are in damaged containers or are unlabelled. Some may have simply been forgotten.

If not disposed of properly, agricultural chemicals pose a significant risk to the environment, human and animal health, and trade. Leaking chemical containers can poison waterways, soil and groundwater.

How are we doing it?

The Ministry is providing financial assistance to regional councils to dispose of agricultural chemicals from rural areas. Collections take place at various locations throughout New Zealand, at times arranged by the regional councils, and are advertised and promoted in the regions.

Who are we working with?

The Ministry is working with the following councils in 2008/09:

  • Auckland Regional Council
  • Environment Waikato
  • Greater Wellington Regional Council
  • Environment Canterbury
  • Otago Regional Council

How are agrichemicals disposed of?

The Ministry for the Environment has secured a contract with Transpacific Technical Services, who ship the agrichemicals to a fully certified facility in Europe, for safe, effective and environmentally sound disposal. The chemicals are burnt in a high temperature incinerator, a facility fully certified and which meets strict European standards and international best practice standards for the recovery and destruction of hazardous wastes.

Why isn't the waste being disposed of in New Zealand ?

Currently there is no alternative to the safe disposal of intractable chemicals in New Zealand. Shipping to an approved high temperature incinerator overseas is the only option. Intractable chemicals are those that cannot safely be disposed of in New Zealand.

We are monitoring global technological developments and safe and effective destruction of intractable chemicals may be undertaken in New Zealand in the future.

What is the long-term solution?

The development of a product stewardship programme to provide a longer term solution for the safe, effective and environmentally sound disposal of agricultural chemicals is being investigated. Product stewardship encourages producers and manufacturers to take responsibility for their agrichemical products beyond sale.

How much money is the Government spending every year on this programme?

To date the Government has spent $3.5 million on this programme. A further $500,000 is budgeted for the 08/09 year. Regional councils are estimated to be spending equivalent amounts of their own money on their collection programmes.

Do these collections and the disposal of the agrichemicals comply with New Zealand 's international commitments?

Safe, effective collection and disposal of intractable agricultural chemicals is required for New Zealand to meet our obligations under the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants.

The Basel Convention requires the disposal of hazardous wastes to occur in an environmentally sound and efficient way. The agrichemicals collected in this programme will be disposed of in strict compliance with the Basel Convention.

The spirit of the Basel Convention requires nations to move away from shipping hazardous wastes overseas, and to focus instead on destroying them locally. There is currently no viable alternative in New Zealand to the current arrangement of shipping to Europe for safe disposal. However, we are monitoring global technological developments, in the hope that safe and effective destruction will be available locally soon.

Last updated: 15 July 2008