Circular
Economy

We are addressing the plastics waste challenge

It’s estimated that only about 9% of the world’s plastics ever produced are being recycled.1

In Europe, the overall recycling rate for plastic waste was 32,5% and 42% for plastic packaging in 2020.2

With pesticide containers playing an essential role in ensuring that crop protection products are delivered safely to the end user, the crop protection industry is taking the lead to ensure the appropriate recovery and recycling of these containers through Container Management Systems (CMS) as part of a CleanFarms initiative. This not only keeps farmers and society safe, but it helps protect our environment.

1 – UN Environment, “Beat Plastic Pollution”
2 – Plastics Europe

Figures for 2020 show that

the average collection rate for plastics packaging among European Union Member States with a dedicated Container Management System was 72%. When EU Member States without collection programmes are also considered, the overall collection rate for the whole Union is 65%.

But we want to do more…

IN THE AREA OF CIRCULAR ECONOMY, EU PESTICIDES AND BIOPESTICIDES MANUFACTURERS COMMIT TO:

Establish
an average 75%
collection rate
of plastic pesticide containers across EU
Member States by 2025

Ensure that a container collection scheme is
available in 100%
of EU Member States by 2025

sustainable plastics use

By increasing the recovery and recycling of plastic containers in which pesticides are packaged, our industry is contributing to the EU’s goal of a circular economy that provides high-quality, functional and safe products. We strive to align with the European Commission’s goal of resource-efficiency and to this end, we take note of the planned legislative proposal for a sustainable product policy initiative due in 2022.

working with partners

Over the past two decades, our industry’s CleanFarms initiative have successfully worked with national authorities, farm unions and licensed waste operators to establish and monitor collection, recovery, and recycling schemes of used plastic pesticide containers in Europe and worldwide.

Container Management Systems across Europe

History of Container Management Systems in Europe

1990
1997
2002

2017
2019
2025

1994

1994

The first Container Management System was launched in Germany
1997

1997

A pesticide container collection scheme starts in Belgium.

2002

2002

France, Luxembourg, and Spain establish Container Management Systems.

2010

2010

By 2010, Hungary, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Croatia, and Slovenia had all established Container Management Systems.

2012

2012

Across 11 European countries, nearly 16,000 tonnes of pesticide containers were collected this year – enough to fill 54 Olympic-size swimming pools!

2013

2013

A further 5 pilot Container Management Systems are launched in Bulgaria, Greece, Russia, Serbia, and Turkey.

2015

2015

Container Management initiatives are running in 24 European countries in total.

2017

2017

Collection and recycling of the total volume of containers introduced onto the market reaches 60% across Europe, with some schemes recovering 85% of containers.

2019

2019

The recycling rate of plastic collected through Container Management Systems in EU Member States reaches a record high of 83%.

2025

2025

By 2025, we aim to have achieved an average 75% collection rate of plastic pesticide containers across EU Member States. We will also have established CMS programmes in all EU Member States.

Supporting Documents

Responsible Management of Pesticide Packaging: CMS Collection data 2020