CEST2025

Pesticides are widely used as they can reduce crop production losses, improve crop yield quality and increase nutritional value of the resulting food products. Pesticides are typically sold in plastic containers frequently made of HDPE or PET. Twelve and a half (12.5) million tonnes of plastics are used in agriculture sector globally per year. The environmental issue generated by the inadequate management and disposal of empty agrochemical containers (EACs) derived from the agricultural sector has been highlighted by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). According to EACs only 30% are collected through management schemes. However remain unclear and unsolved what the remain containers ends. Its is well known that plastic containers have been used to store pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers by the agricultural industry. Once these are used, these containers imply an environmental risk due to their inappropriate disposal in ravines, bodies of water, municipal garbage dumps, roads, or even through incineration. Actions lead to negative ecological impacts, such as water bodies poisoning, visual pollution, and atmospheric pollution. The paper highlight the existing management practices in isolated communities as the revalorization of these containers could offer an opportunity to promote sustainable practices within circular economy framework.