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Banned pesticides get free muster thanks to 3R project

By Jason Richards on April 16th, 2015 in Hazardous waste management
3R The Great DDT Muster banned chemicals collection

3R Group has secured funding to support a nationwide collection to rid New Zealand of banned pesticides known to be stored on rural properties despite being phased out decades ago.

‘The Great DDT Muster’ gives farmers and growers a free and confidential chance to register banned persistent organic pollutants (POPs) for safe collection and disposal.

3R decided to seek funding for this project following our long-term involvement with agrichemicals through our management of the Agrecovery Rural Recycling programme and the Agrichemicals Review led by 3R in 2012.

POPs were used in many insecticide and sheep dip products sold in New Zealand from the 1940’s to the 1970’s, before being replaced by safer alternatives and finally banned in 2004. DDT was the most common chemical compound but there are about a dozen in total including Lindane, Aldrin, Dieldrin, and Chlordane.

Farmers may recognise brands such as Young’s Sheep Dip, Cooper’s Louse Powder, or Cleanso but if in doubt they can check the website for a more comprehensive list and an image gallery to help them recognise these banned pesticides.

POPs, once used widely on farms and in homes around the world, were banned due to their negative effects on human health and the environment. They are known hormone disruptors, able to alter the normal function of endocrine and reproductive systems in humans and wildlife. They are also bio-accumulative, building up in the tissue of living things, and can be passed between species through the food chain or from mother to baby.

They’ve been linked to cardiovascular disease, cancer, obesity and diabetes and exposure during pregnancy has also been linked to developmental defects, so they’re not products you want sitting round in your farm shed.

It is believed that several tonnes of these products can still be found on farms across New Zealand, with people either unaware what they are, unsure how to safely dispose of them, or unwilling to pay for commercial disposal.  If left unresolved the potential for harm is high, particularly as much of the original packaging is now deteriorating.

More information on POPs and how famers and growers can register for free collection can be found at www.thegreatDDTmuster.co.nz or by calling 0800 247 326.

Previous 3R Stewardship of agricultural chemicals

Agrichemicals review for agri chemicals stewardship

Next 3R The Great DDT Muster chemical collection

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ISO 14001:2015

Environmental management systems and safe work practices.

ISO 14001:2015 is an internationally recognised standard that certifies our commitment to environmental management systems and safe work practices.

Consistent with our environmental policy, the intended outcomes of our environmental management system include:

  • The enhancement of environmental performance;
  • The fulfilment of compliance obligations;
  • The achievement of environmental objectives.

Our ISO 14001:2015 certification includes 3R Operations, the Paint Product Stewardship Programmes, ChemCollect Service and the SeatSmart Child Car Seat Recycling Programme (owned and operated by 3R).

This certification is audited by TELARC.

ISO 45001:2018

Keeping our people safe, healthy and happy.

ISO 45001:2018 certification has been chosen to demonstrate the importance we place in caring for our people as we bring to life our values of Kaitiakitanga and Manaakitanga.

Keeping our team safe, healthy and happy is a primary focus for our business. We feel that the work our operations staff do makes this particularly important. Their responsibilities can include collecting and processing paint; collecting chemicals; driving trucks around the country; and getting hands-on with work wherever needed.

3R received ISO 45001:2018 certification in 2021. The ISO 45001:2018 certificate is valid for 3 years and includes annual surveillance audits which provide a valuable framework for further growth.

What is a circular economy?

New Zealand is “one of the highest generators of waste per person in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)”. The way we currently produce and manage our waste is not sustainable.

The current economy in New Zealand is linear: this equates to a process of take-make-use-dispose. The aim of the government is to move towards a circular economy.

A circular economy can refer to either biological or technical materials.

With biological materials, the cycle could be defined as make-consume-enrich. In this cycle waste returns to the environment and enriches the land.

A technical materials cycle may be more like make-use-return. In a technical materials cycle waste is repurposed and used to make something new.

Whether you need help with biological materials, technical materials, or both; 3R can partner with your business to assess your current waste, then help you reduce it.