Thanks to the 357 local government councils who host agricultural and veterinary chemical container sites, Australian property owners have diverted millions of tonnes of agricultural waste from landfill towards recycling projects or safe disposal.
Since 1999, councils have demonstrated their strong commitment to improved waste management practices, by engaging with the drumMUSTER and ChemClear agricultural waste services.
As the nation’s longest running agricultural stewardship programs, drumMUSTER has been instrumental in helping landholders clear their land of 31 million tonnes of empty agvet drums, while ChemClear has safely disposed of more than 643 tonnes of unwanted chemicals.
Councils who host collection sites for regular chemical pickups are not only allowing a safe product disposal pathway for local residents, they’re helping Australians to keep their land and waterways pristine.
One of the ChemClear program users in the 2017 Queensland collection was 81-year-old grazier, Glen Keal of Gatton, who handed over a 10kg tin of arsenic he recalls his father using to treat tree stumps more than 60 years ago.
“It’s been in the shed ever since I can remember and this was the only legal way to get rid of it,” he said.
“I’ve got great-grandchildren so getting it off the farm makes the place safer and you’ve got to be environmentally responsible these days.”
Farm safety is vital to the continued viability of the Australian food and fibre industries and with the amount of agvet products diverted from landfill and into recycling projects, it’s clear farmers get the message and want to deliver on better farm safety.
If your local council would like to get involved, contact drumMUSTER on 1800 008 707 or ChemClear on 1800 008 182.
*Copy supplied by drumMuster
