Pesticide Container Recycling in Daniels County

Published: 2020
By Inga Hawbaker

Daniels County MSU Extension and the county Weed District partner throughout the summer and fall for the Pesticide Container Recycling Program, which is regulated by the Montana Department of Agriculture. The third partner in the project is the local landfill, Daniels County Solid Waste. The county has four recycling bins located in Peerless, Four Buttes, Scobey, and Flaxville. Started in 2009, the focus of the program is to keep HDPE #2 pesticide plastic out of Montana landfills. Individuals from all three departments meet in the spring and fall to sort and prepare containers dropped off by local producers; a total of approximately 14,000 pounds of container plastic was collected by the MDA in Daniels County for the 2020 season. To generate more awareness and commitment to the project, MSU Extension provided a public update on the pounds of plastic collected and rejected at the different sites in a weekly column in the local newspaper. The update included a reminder to individuals utilizing the sites to triple rinse containers, and remove all lids, foil liners, and pesticide booklets before dropping off containers. The products created from the recycled plastic were highlighted in the newspaper for community members to recognize the resourceful nature of the program.