Empty containers after spraying — triple rinse, then never reuse
A container that looks empty still has residue inside. Triple rinsing takes less than two minutes and puts the product back into the tank.
About 3 min read
A bottle or bag that has been emptied still has product coating the inside walls. The amount left is small compared with the original, but enough to harm people and animals, and enough to contaminate water sources if it is thrown away in the wrong place.
Triple rinsing
- First empty it completely into the mixing tank, holding it upside down until nothing more flows out.
Fill the container about a quarter full with clean water, close the cap, shake it well on all sides including the neck, then pour the rinse water into the mixing tank, not onto the ground.
Repeat the same way twice more, for three rinses in total.
The rinse water from all three rounds becomes part of the spray mix, so nothing is wasted and the application rate does not go up, because it is product that should have gone into the tank in the first place.
After rinsing
- Puncture the container or otherwise make it unusable, so that nobody takes it to reuse.
Collect containers in a dedicated place, separate from general rubbish, then ask the district agricultural office or local government about container return points. Many areas already have a take-back scheme.
What you must never do
- Never use the containers for drinking water, household water, food or animal feed, no matter how many times they have been rinsed.
Never burn them. In many cases, the smoke from burning chemical containers contains toxic substances more dangerous than the original product, and the people breathing the smoke are your own household.
Never bury them in the field or throw them into a canal. The chemical will flow into water sources shared by the whole community.
Never throw them out with household rubbish, because rubbish collectors and sorters will be exposed without knowing it.
What people overlook
- Torn-open bags of powder products must be handled the same way. Many people rinse only the bottles but toss the bags on the rubbish pile, even though powder stuck in a bag spreads into the air even more easily than liquid.
- Important note
- This article explains general safety principles. It is not a recommendation to use any particular chemical. Mixing rates, the crops a product may be used on and the waiting periods required differ by product and change with government notifications. Always treat the product label as the authority, and consult an agricultural specialist or our staff before deciding to use it.
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