RETRIEVAL OF BANNED, OBSOLETE AND UNWANTED AGROCHEMICALS IN

SOUTH AFRICAA PERSPECTIVE

Gerhard H Verdoorn

Poison Working Group Endangered Wildlife Trust

PO Box 72334Parkview 2122South Africa

nesher@ewt.org.za1

THANKS TO GCPF (DR CHRIS WALLER) FOR FUNDING

Administrative structure

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L isa S te inP W G M a na g e r

E nd angered W ild life T rustP oison W ork ing G roup

(P W G )G erhard V erd oorn

E tie nne W o lm a r a nsR e g is tr a r

A c t N o . 3 6 o f 1 9 4 7

N ationa l D ep artm ent ofA gr iculture

D irec tora te : A gr icultura lP rod uction Inp uts

J a c q ue s L o uwP r o je c t C o nsu lta nt

T o m M a b e saP r o je c t A d m in is tr a to r

C rop P rotec tion and A nim alH ea lth A ssoc ia tion

(A V C A S A )Jan K leynhans

N ationa l R etr ieva l S chem e forB anned , O b sole te and U nw anted A grochem ica ls

N ationa l governm ent resp onsib ility

History of the SA retrieval scheme

AVCASA initiated national survey in 1994Estimated 400 tonnes of products!

Did brief cost analysis - ZAR4 million

Presented National Department of Agriculture (NDA) with the factsNDA decided to put out tenders!

Tenders were postponed three times! End of 1996 no progress!

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Initiatives taken by the PWG and AVCASA

PWG wrote to Agriculture Ministry on 5 January 1998Insisted on action to be taken immediately

Recommended appointing AVCASA as principal for retrieval scheme

Recommended scrapping tender process

AVCASA and PWG reviewed all existing tenders Selected two feasible options

Calculated costs of total operationOffered NDA a R8 million scheme based on 800 tonnes

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Actions implemented

NDA appointed AVCASA to manage schemeNDA pledged R8.5 million to scheme

Contracts drawn up between NDA and AVCASA

AVCASA employed project managerAVCASA approached RECHEM, Waste Tech and

transport companies for quotesAVCASA and PWG planned strategy

PWG implemented information campaign5

Project initiated in April 1998

1st phaseTotal audit of stocks ~ 850 tonnes

65 Primary & 5 main collection centres establishedRECHEM and Waste Tech awarded contractsPWG implemented 24 hr information service

2nd phaseIndividuals and institutions delivered stocks to primary

collection centresLarge volume stocks collected - PWG & AVCASA

Strict records and audit sheets maintainedStocks sorted into chemical classes at primary centres

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3rd phase

Stocks moved to main collection centresUnknown products analysed

Chemical classes grouped togetherUN, SA and UK certification acquired

Final phase

760 Tonnes shipped to Rechem for incinerationRest (300 tonnes) accommodated locally in landfill, ash

blend, lime treatment & concrete bunkering7

Problems

SA currency depreciated dramatically!Arsenic - no solution to the problem!

Solutions to problems

NDA granted R3 million moreGTZ granted R300,000 (used for Namibia)

Arsenic kept sealed and in bondNegotiations with various institutions to recycle

arsenic 8

Obsolete and unwanted pesticides and empty container strategy

Joint AVCASA and PWG ventureHoping to establish ~15 national centres

Retrieve remaining stocks ~50 tonnes(PWG survey underway)

Create ‘buy only as you need’ culture Create ‘FIFO’ culture

Assist with cycling of unwanted pesticide stocksGet buy in from all stake holders

Public awareness campaign9

Barriers and opportunities

Barriers

Government complacency

Actions & participation

Funding

Industry reluctant to fund

Farming industry

Expect someone else to do

Incineration facilities

No large scale facility

Opportunities

Keen and experienced individuals

PWG, AVCASA, ACDASA

Government funding

Willing to fund partially

Workable infrastructurePrevious scheme was an enormous success 10