Existing law forbids the sale of a pesticide unless it is in a registrant’s sealed or closed container or package.
This bill would require every person who is the first to sell any agricultural- or structural-use pesticide product for use in this state that is packaged in rigid, nonrefillable, high-density polyethylene (HDPE) containers of 55 gallons or less to establish a recycling program, or demonstrate participation in a recycling program to ensure HDPE containers are recycled. Container recycling would be required to comply with specified standards, as published in February 2006, and the recycling program would be required to be certified as being in compliance by a specified 3rd-party organization. This bill would require that records required by those standards shall be maintained for 3 years and shall be subject to audit by the director. The bill would provide that any person who is required to establish or
participate in this recycling program shall provide to the director, at least annually, a document certifying that this requirement has been met. The bill would allow the director to adopt regulations to carry out the purpose of these requirements, and state the Legislature’s intent that any regulatory standards adopted by the department shall be at least as stringent as those standards published in February 2006, as specified. The bill would require specified information be posted on the department’s Internet Web site commencing on September 1, 2010. A violation of these requirements would be punishable by a civil fine.