Voices from the Two Sessions: Promoting the Effective Collection of Pesticide Packaging Waste

Release Date:

2020-05-25

For a long time, pesticide‑packaging waste has posed a persistent environmental threat. Data show that China generates more than 10 billion such waste items annually. Much of this packaging is discarded indiscriminately in fields and along field edges, creating visual pollution while also impairing plant growth and disrupting soil balance, thereby reducing crop yields. Chemical residues remaining on the packaging can leach into the soil or water bodies, causing severe damage to farmland ecosystems, surface‑water and groundwater systems, and agricultural product quality; they may even enter the food chain, jeopardizing human health and the well‑being of other organisms. These “ecological time bombs” hinder the green development of agriculture, making it imperative to explore and establish a rational, effective, and sustainable solution.

Delegate Li Xiuxiang: Allocate special funds for the collection and disposal of pesticide packaging waste; with government guidance, phase out existing stockpiles, and enforce oversight in accordance with the law.

“Pesticide packaging discarded indiscriminately in fields, along field edges, and in ditches and waterways poses a serious threat to the ecological environment and public health, becoming a major source of rural solid‑waste pollution, soil contamination, and non‑point source pollution, as well as a significant challenge for remediation.” Li Xiuxiang, a deputy to the National People’s Congress and director of the Center for Trade and Environment at Jiangxi University of Finance and Economics, pointed out that there is an urgent need to strengthen oversight and management of the collection and treatment of pesticide‑packaging waste.

For pesticide‑using enterprises and individual farmers across rural areas nationwide A comprehensive survey must be conducted to promptly collect, transport, and centrally dispose of pesticide packaging waste that has long been scattered across the land, thereby gradually eliminating existing stockpiles.

For pesticide producers and operators, A ledger for the collection of pesticide packaging waste shall be established, recording information such as the type and quantity of the waste, the date of collection, and its destination. Collected pesticide packaging waste shall be temporarily stored in designated areas or containers, with measures in place to prevent dispersion, loss, and leakage, and clearly marked with hazardous waste signage. It must not be stored in the open air, nor may pesticide packaging waste with incompatible hazardous characteristics be mixed during storage.

“Pesticide producers and operators may collaborate with specialized institutions, entrusting them to handle the collection, storage, transportation, and disposal of pesticide packaging waste; the associated costs shall be borne by the respective pesticide producers and operators,” proposed Delegate Li Xiuxiang. She further recommended encouraging enterprises to use standardized packaging and actively adopt packaging materials that are easy to recycle or dispose of, or that are biodegradable in the environment, while phasing out aluminum‑foil packaging.

“At present, laws and regulations such as the Soil Pollution Prevention and Control Law and the Regulations on the Administration of Pesticides have introduced certain provisions on pesticide‑packaging waste, but these are fragmented, unsystematic, and lack strong enforceability, thus failing to meet the practical needs of managing such waste,” stated Delegate Li Xiuxiang. She further noted that the “Administrative Measures for the Recycling and Disposal of Pesticide‑Packaging Waste” are more systematic and operational, with stricter penalties. The draft for public comment has already been made available; she recommended its prompt promulgation and implementation, and, on this basis, the enactment of a dedicated “Law of the People’s Republic of China on the Recycling and Disposal of Pesticide‑Packaging Waste.”

“It is recommended that the 2020 fiscal budget allocate a special fund for the collection and disposal of pesticide‑packaging waste, with the government providing guidance to address existing stockpiles, enforcing oversight in accordance with the law, and comprehensively tackling agricultural nonpoint‑source pollution to safeguard arable land, soil, and water resources,” said Delegate Li Xiuxiang.

Committee Member Shen Aidong: Establish a mechanism of “who produces is responsible, who sells is responsible for recycling, and who uses is responsible for returning”

“Used pesticide‑packaging waste is often abandoned in fields and along field edges, posing a serious source of pollution to farmland and water bodies. Moreover, residual pesticides remaining in the packaging pose potential risks to both humans and livestock,” said Chen Aidong, a National Committee member of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference based in Yunnan. He noted that current Chinese laws and regulations do not clearly designate which government agency is responsible for the collection and disposal of such waste, leaving grassroots plant protection authorities uncertain about who should handle it and how. At the same time, due to insufficient disposal infrastructure and a pressing need to raise public environmental awareness, many farmers are unable to carry out centralized, harmless treatment of collected pesticide‑packaging waste; after use, they simply discard the packaging in fields or along riverbanks.

In the “Proposal on Strengthening Accountability Mechanisms to Promote the Effective Recycling of Pesticide Packaging Waste,” Committee Member Shen Aidong recommends intensifying public outreach and education efforts to ensure that pesticide operators, users, and professional organizations fully recognize the severe ecological risks posed by the indiscriminate disposal of pesticide packaging waste and the critical importance of safe recycling, thereby encouraging their active participation in the collection and proper disposal of such waste. He further advocates leveraging the market’s leading role by establishing a mechanism based on the principle of “producers are responsible, sellers collect, and users return,” guiding pesticide manufacturers and distributors to lower pesticide prices appropriately through the recycling of packaging, while supplementing this with public funding to foster third-party recycling models. Additionally, he calls for extending the producer responsibility system: when reviewing applications for operating licenses for pesticides (including restricted‑use products), require license holders to collect and dispose of pesticide packaging waste. Finally, after broadly soliciting public input, he urges the prompt issuance of “Administrative Measures for the Collection and Treatment of Pesticide Packaging Waste,” clearly defining responsibilities, strengthening oversight and accountability mechanisms, and ensuring that those whose actions result in serious agricultural pollution—constituting criminal offenses—are held criminally liable in accordance with the law.