A major source of agrochemical pollution comes from agrochemical packaging. Agrochemical packaging is a form of hazardous waste because it contains traces of agrochemicals (Eras et al., 2017; Dang et al., 2021). The improper disposal of agrochemical packaging is a problem in places that lack an established waste management system. It is especially so in the Global South, where agricultural wastes are poorly regulated.
Particularly, agrochemical packaging is a rising concern in Vietnam. The number of registered and distributed chemicals in the Vietnamese market has been increasing (Hoi et al., 2016) because of the growing demand for agrochemicals (Nguyen et al., 2021).
To manage this issue, the Vietnamese government adopted the National Action Plan for the Management of Marine Plastic Litter by 2030 (Dang et al., 2021). According to this regulation, all agrochemical packaging must be treated after use. Users, such as farmers, are required to collect these packaging and store them in concrete tanks (Photo A). Local governments or agrochemical companies are in charge of consolidating and transporting them from the tanks to a treatment facility.
Photo A: A farmworker disposing agrochemical wastes into a concrete tank (Center for Initiatives on Community Empowerment and Rural Development, 2018)
Yet, despite having laws that allocate specific responsibilities to different stakeholders, the packaging pollution problem persists. Many farmers continue to dispose of the packaging in improper ways. These disposal methods include burning, burying, or discarding directly into water bodies such as rivers and canals (Nguyen et al., 2021), leading to air, soil, and water pollution respectively.
The main problem appears to be a lack of a well-established waste collection system for the farmers. According to Nguyen et al.’s (2021) study on farmers in the Cho Moi District in Vietnam, the lack of access to collection facilities is the main reason why farmers continue to dispose of hazardous wastes indiscriminately. There is a general lack of concrete tanks available for collection and most collection programs in the district are temporary.
Even when the infrastructure is available, it has its own set of problems. According to the Center for Initiatives on Community Empowerment and Rural Development (2018), the tanks fill their capacity quickly due to trash other than agrochemical packaging and the low collection frequency. Rain is also likely to cause chemical leakages from the tanks into the environment.
Without the political will and financial support to manage this problem, agrochemical packaging is likely to continue to plague local communities. The ideal way forward might be for local governments and agrochemical companies to collaborate and develop a comprehensive waste management system.
References
Center for Initiatives on Community Empowerment and Rural Development. (2018). ICERD & Field Alliance (TFA) organize a Study Visit on Pesticides Waste Containers Management for the delegates from Laos and Thailand and Cambodia, Vietnam, 8-9 October, 2018. https://icerd.vn/icerd-field-alliance-tfa-organize-a-study-visit-on-pesticides-waste-containers-management-for-the-delegates-from-laos-and-thailand-and-cambodia-vietnam-8-9-october-2018/
Eras, J., Costa, J., Vilaró, F., Pelacho, A. M., Canela-Garayoa, R., & Martin-Closas, L. (2017). Prevalence of pesticides in postconsumer agrochemical polymeric packaging. The Science of the Total Environment, 580, 1530-1538. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.12.139
Hoi, P. V., Mol, A. P. J., Oosterveer, P., van den Brink, Paul J, & Huong, P. T. M. (2016). Pesticide use in Vietnamese vegetable production: A 10-year study. International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability, 14(3), 325-338. https://doi.org/10.1080/14735903.2015.1134395
Nguyen, T. T., Cao, S. D. H., Thi, Q. A. N., Phan, P. T., Tran, N. T., Tran, L. B., Le, T. T., Tran, Q. T., & Nguyen, N. H. (2021). Current Status of the Management of Plant Protection Product Containers in Cho Moi District, An Giang Province, Vietnam. Nakhara: Journal of Environmental Design and Planning (2021), 20(2), 1–14. https://doi.org/10.54028/NJ202120116
Vu Hai Dang, Pham Thi Gam, Nguyen Thi Xuan Son, Vietnam’s Regulations to Prevent Pollution from Plastic Waste: A Review Based on the Circular Economy Approach, Journal of Environmental Law, Volume 33, Issue 1, March 2021, Pages 137–166, https://doi.org/10.1093/jel/eqaa028