Circular
Economy

We are addressing the plastics waste challenge

It is estimated that less than 10% of total global plastic waste produced to date has been recycled.

In Europe, figures for 2020 show that the overall recycling rate for plastic waste was 34.6% and 38% for plastic packaging.

For our industry, plastic plays a crucial role. Plastic containers help to ensure that crop protection products are delivered safely to the end user, and also help to protect the user during application.

We recognise our responsibility to contribute to a circular economy for plastics through our active membership of the European Commission’s Circular Plastics Alliance and our promotion of Container Management Systems as part of a CleanFarms initiative.

In 2020, when we launched the Circular Economy Commitment, Container Management Systems were present in 19 EU member states, while the average collection rate for plastic pesticide containers was 65%, or 73% among EU countries with a dedicated Container Management System.

We want to do more.

To contribute to a more circular economy by 2025, EU pesticide and biopesticide manufacturers commit to:

Establish

an average 75% collection rate

of plastic pesticide containers across the EU

Ensure that a container

collection scheme is available in 100%

of EU member states

In 2021, our industry achieved the following results

Achieved an average collection rate of 66%.

Expanded Container Management Schemes to 20 out of 27 EU member states.

More than 83% of the plastic containers collected in the 20 EU Member States in 2021 were sent for safe and controlled recycling.

sustainable plastics use

As proud members of the European Commission’s Circular Plastics Alliance and drawing upon decades of work to increase the recovery and recycling of plastic pesticide containers, our industry is contributing to the EU’s goal of a circular economy that provides high-quality, functional, and safe products.

working with partners

Over the past two decades, our industry’s CleanFarms initiative has 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 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.

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%.

2022

2021

66% of plastic pesticide packaging is collected in the EU. Ireland becomes the 20th EU country with a Container Management System.

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.