Thirty-nine sites in Nebraska are accepting empty, plastic pesticide containers for recycling this year.
According to UNL Extension Educator in Cuming County, Larry Howard, this is the 16th year for the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension's plastic pesticide container and crop protection drum recycling program that helps with the recycling of one and 2.5-gallon plastic pesticide containers and 15-, 30- and 55-gallon plastic crop protection chemical drums. In Cuming County the collection site is at the West Point Transfer Station in West Point. We collect year around during normal business hours which are Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to noon, 1 to 5 p.m., Saturday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. This site also accepts the drums.
Plastic from collected containers is turned into industrial and consumer products such as shipping pallets, drain tile, dimension lumber and parking lot tire bumpers. The UNL program helped recycle a 16-year total of over 800 tons of containers.
Most of the (collection) sites are at agricultural chemical dealerships or community recycling centers, all of which volunteer to take on this additional responsibility.
The program accepts pressure-rinsed or triple-rinsed 1- and 2.5-gallon plastic pesticide containers. They must be clean and drained, inside and out. Caps, label booklets and slipcover plastic labels must be removed since they cannot be recycled as part of this program. They should be disposed of as solid waste.
Glued-on paper labels can be left on the container.
Of the 39 sites, 22 of them accept 15-, 30- and 55-gallon plastic crop protection chemical, crop oil and adjuvant drums. These drums must be thoroughly rinsed before delivery to collection sites and should not be cut or opened in any way.
Mini-bulk, saddle tanks and nurse tanks, which can be made of fiberglass or plastics not compatible with the recycling program, are not accepted.
Of this year's 39 collection sites, seven collect year-around, 16 collect May through August, 13 collect on specific dates and three collect by appointment only.
Collection site categories are listed by county below. Sites accepting 15-, 30- and 55-gallon plastic drums are noted.
Year-around inspections, collection sites:
2008 Summary of all Pesticide Container Recycling Sites
County Town Name Collection Type Drums? Telephone
Adams Juniata Cooperative Producers Inc Specific dates Yes 402-751-2255
Antelope Brunswick Central Valley Ag May to August No 402-842-4295
Antelope Clearwater Central Valley Ag May to August No 402-485-2445
Antelope Elgin Central Valley Ag May to August No 402-843-2200
Antelope Neligh Central Valley Ag May to August No 402-887-4102
Antelope Tilden Central Valley Ag May to August No 402-368-5323
Boone Cedar Rapids Country Partners Coop May to August Yes 308-358-0250
Brown Ainsworth Ainsworth Transfer Station By Appointment No 402-387-2213
Buffalo Kearney Kearney Recycling Year-round No 308-233-3206
Butler David City Frontier Coop (Yanka) May to August No 402-367-3019
Cass Plattsmouth Wiles Bros Fertilizer Inc Specific dates Yes 402-398-8550
Clay Sutton Cooperative Producers Inc Specific dates Yes 402-773-5531
Colfax Richland Schuyler Cooperative at Richland May to August No 402-562-6700
Cuming West Point West Point Transfer Station Year-round Yes 402-372-2761
Dakota Emerson Central Valley Ag Specific dates Yes 402-695-2380
Dakota South Sioux City Central Valley Ag Specific dates Yes 402-494-6748
Dawson Lexington All Points Cooperative Year-round Yes 308-324-4614
Dawson Gothenburg All Points Cooperative Year-round Yes 308-537-7145
Dixon Newcastle Central Valley Ag Newcastle Branch Specific dates No 402-355-2275
Dixon Wakefield Central Valley Ag Wakefield Specific dates No 402-584-2234
Dodge North Bend Frontier Cooperative-North Bend Specific dates Yes 402-652-8611
Gage Beatrice United Agri Products May to August No 402-223-5102
Gage Beatrice Southeast Nebraska Cooperative May to August No 402-662-3885
Hamilton Giltner Cooperative Producers Inc Specific dates Yes 402-849-2211
Jefferson Fairbury Farmers Coop - Fairbury Branch May to August No 402-729-2330
Kearney Minden Cooperative Producers Inc Specific dates Yes 308-832-2380
Lancaster Bennet Farmers Cooperative Co. Specific dates Yes 402-782-2295
Lancaster Firth Countryside Coop May to August No 402-791-5952
Lancaster Lincoln Lancaster County Extension By appointment Yes 402-441-7180
Lancaster Waverly Farmers Cooperative Co. Specific dates Yes 402-786-2665
Lincoln North Platte North Platte Transfer Station Year-round No 308-535-6710
Perkins Grant Cornhusker Ag Aviation May to August Yes 800-882-221 or 308-352-4233
Saline Wilber Farmers Coop-Wilber By appointment No 402-832-2351
Sarpy Gretna Farmers Union Coop May to August Yes 402-332-3315
Saunders Ashland UAP Distribution May to August Yes 402-944-2436
Saunders Mead Frontier Cooperative May to August Yes 402-624-2075
Scotts Bluff Gering Gering Landfill Year-round Yes 308-436-7568
Thurston Macy Mother Earth Recycling Center Specific dates Yes 402-846-5166
Washington Blair Blair Recycling Center Year-round Yes 402-533-2577
"By Appointment" Collections for 2008
County Town Name Telephone
Brown Ainsworth Ainsworth Transfer Station 402-387-2213
Lancaster Lincoln Lancaster County Extension Office 402-471-7180
Saline Wilber Farmers Coop - Wilber 402-821-2351
"Specific Date" Collections for 2008
County Town Name Collection Schedule
Adams Juniata Cooperative Producers Inc August 14 & 15, 8 to 5 p.m.
Cass Plattsmouth Wiles Bros Fertilizer Inc. Fridays, July & August, 8 to noon
Clay Sutton Cooperative Producers Inc August 21 & 22, 8 to 5 p.m.
Dakota Emerson Central Valley Ag Wednesdays, June & July, 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. (except July 4th)
Dakota South Sioux City Central Valley Ag Wednesdays, June & July, 11 to noon (except July 4th)
Dixon Newcastle Central Valley Ag- Newcastle Branch May 8 & 22, June 12 & 26, July 10 & 24, August 14 & 28, 8 - noon
Dixon Wakefield Central Valley Ag-Wakefield Branch June 11 & 25, July 9 & 23, August 6, 1 - 4 p.m.
Dodge North Bend Frontier Cooperative-North Bend June through October, Fridays, 8 - 4 p.m.
Hamilton Giltner Cooperative Producers August 7, 8 to 5 p.m.
Kearney Minden Cooperative Producers Inc August 7 & 8, 8 to 5 p.m.
-30-
SOURCE: Larry Howard, Extension Educator
