Management and disposal of pesticide wastes are a major problem in countries like India where almost 142 million hectare of land is under farming. Every farmer in the country regardless of the crop they are growing, use pesticides to safeguard their crop. Have you ever thought of what happens to these pesticide bottles post spraying? They are thrown in the farms, village streets, used as storage objects in house or sometimes even thrown in water bodies. This haphazard discharge of pesticide waste into the environment can harm people and pollute water. Pesticide - contaminated water poses serious hazard to plants, beneficial insects, fish and other aquatic life in villages.
In order to inculcate best practices among the farming community for safe disposal of pesticide wastes. ITC has started a programme called "Hazardous Waste Management" in villages across Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.
By involving local community, village panchayat and farmers, ITC has established secure "Waste Collection Centres" at a designated accessible place every identified village. Around 140 waste collection centres are set up in as many villages, encouraging farmers to drop the empty pesticide bottles/wrappers safely without polluting the environment. Later, the collected wastes from these centres are scientifically disposed/recycled and safely incinerated by professional organizations.