Australia’s agvet chemical container recycling program drumMUSTER is providing South Australian farmers with fresh opportunities to clear their properties of empty agvet chemical containers.
The Coorong District Council operates several collection sites in the region, with upcoming collections scheduled for Meningie Waste Depot (6 July), Tintinara Waste Depot (7 July), Jabuk Waste Depot (8 July), Coonalpyn Council Depot (9 July) and Tailem Bend Waste Depot (10 July).
Bookings are essential and can be made by calling (08) 8572 3611.
“The Coorong District Council has provided an excellent service over the years, collecting over 175,000 containers since April 2001 when the first collection site was established,” said South Australian Regional Consultant Stewart McIntosh.
“With most dryland crops in the ground, it is a good time to remind everyone of the collections happening in July.”
Since the start of the program in SA, chemical users have returned over 3.6 million containers. Nationally, drumMUSTER has collected over 25 million drums.
“drumMUSTER is leading the way in product stewardship. We thank participating agvet chemical manufacturers, local government and program users for their commitment to sharing in the responsibility for a sustainable future in Australian agriculture,” said drumMUSTER National Program Manager Allan McGann.
Once collected, the containers are shredded and transformed into practical items such as plastic cable covers, wheelie bins, road signs and bollards.
drumMUSTER is free to users thanks to a 4 cents per litre/kilogram levy paid on eligible products from participating chemical companies who have signed onto the stewardship program.
The program is ideally set up to meet chemical user requirements for quality assurance (QA) programs. By participating in drumMUSTER, chemical users are provided with documentation that demonstrates they are meeting their responsibilities for on-farm waste management of chemicals and used containers.
Mr McGann said chemical users should take advantage of the program to satisfy their QA auditors.
“Using drumMUSTER not only shows you’re meeting the requirements of QA programs, but you’re also preventing waste from ending up in the wrong place,” he said.
For further information call Mr McIntosh on 0439242284.