4.4 Container Rinsing, Reuse & Pesticide Disposal (Pes 801)
Key Takeaways
- Pes 801.04 requires that all pesticide containers be triple rinsed with an appropriate solvent, which includes the diluent prescribed by the label.
- Pes 801.05 prohibits reusing a pesticide container for any other purpose except as provided on the manufacturer label.
- Triple rinsing a container of 5 gallons or less: drain 10 seconds, fill one quarter full, recap, shake 10 seconds, pour rinsate into the tank, drain 10 seconds, and repeat twice more.
- Pressure rinsing uses a pressure-rinsing nozzle inserted in the side of an inverted container at about 40 pounds per square inch for at least 30 seconds.
- Rinsate is applied to a labeled site as part of the spray mixture, or stored for later use; it is never poured on the ground or down a drain.
4.4 Container Rinsing, Reuse & Pesticide Disposal (Pes 801)
An empty pesticide container is not empty. A jug drained by gravity alone still holds enough concentrate on its walls to be a hazardous waste, to injure a person, and to contaminate a well. New Hampshire therefore treats rinsing as a legal requirement, not a courtesy.
Pes 801.01 - the general prohibition
No person shall dispose of, discard, store, or transport any pesticides or pesticide containers in a manner inconsistent with the requirements of the Department of Environmental Services pursuant to Env-Hw 500, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency pursuant to 40 CFR 261-262, the Division, or as stated upon the pesticide label.
Four independent authorities, any one of which can make a disposal unlawful.
Pes 801.04 - triple rinsing is mandatory
All pesticide containers shall be triple rinsed with an appropriate solvent, which shall include but not be limited to the diluent as prescribed by the pesticide label. The rinsate and container shall be disposed of in a manner consistent with instructions found upon the pesticide label and in accordance with Env-Hw 501.02, Env-Hw 511, and 40 CFR 261.7.
This is unconditional. Note that the rule does not say "or pressure rinse" - it says triple rinse with an appropriate solvent, which in practice means the diluent the label prescribes, usually water. Pressure rinsing is the equipment-based method of achieving the same result and is accepted where the label recognizes it.
Triple rinsing containers of 5 gallons or less
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| TRIPLE RINSE - SMALL CONTAINERS (5 GAL OR LESS) |
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| 1. Empty remaining contents into the application equipment or |
| mix tank. DRAIN 10 SECONDS after the flow begins to drip. |
| 2. Fill the container ONE QUARTER FULL with water. Recap. |
| 3. SHAKE 10 SECONDS. |
| 4. Pour the rinsate into the application equipment or mix tank, |
| or store the rinsate for later use or disposal. |
| 5. DRAIN 10 SECONDS after the flow begins to drip. |
| 6. REPEAT STEPS 2-5 TWO MORE TIMES. |
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Containers too large to shake (more than 5 gallons or 50 pounds)
- Empty the remaining contents into the application equipment or mix tank.
- Fill the container one quarter full with water and replace and tighten the closures.
- Tip the container on its side and roll it back and forth, making at least one complete revolution, for 30 seconds.
- Stand the container on its end and tip it back and forth several times, then turn it onto its other end and repeat.
- Empty the rinsate into the application equipment or mix tank, or store it for later use or disposal.
- Repeat the procedure two more times.
Pressure rinsing
- Empty the remaining contents into the application equipment or mix tank, draining 10 seconds after the flow begins to drip.
- Hold the container upside down over the application equipment or mix tank, or collect the rinsate for later use or disposal.
- Insert a pressure-rinsing nozzle in the side of the container and rinse at about 40 pounds per square inch for at least 30 seconds.
- Drain 10 seconds after the flow begins to drip.
Bags and liners
Completely empty the bag or liner by shaking and tapping the sides and bottom to loosen clinging particles, and empty that residue into the application equipment or mix tank, or store it for later use or disposal.
What to do with rinsate
Rinsate is dilute pesticide. Pour it into the spray tank so it becomes part of a legal application to a labeled site, or store it in a labeled, sealed container to be used as the diluent for the next batch of the same product. It is never poured on the ground, into a ditch, down a drain, or into a septic system.
Pes 801.05 - no reuse
No pesticide container shall be re-used for any other purpose except as provided on the manufacturer's label.
The hazard behind this rule is specific and lethal: pesticide stored in a beverage container - a soda bottle, a water jug, a coffee can - is one of the leading causes of fatal accidental ingestion, especially in children. Reusing a rinsed pesticide jug for fuel, water, or animal feed is a violation regardless of how thoroughly it was rinsed.
After rinsing, puncture or crush the container so it cannot be reused, unless it is going to a container recycling program, which will specify its own condition requirements. The Ag Container Recycling Council (acrecycle.org, 877-952-2272) maintains programs that accept properly rinsed HDPE containers.
Pes 801.02 - storing material awaiting disposal
Unused or unwanted pesticides held prior to disposal - whether in sealed or previously opened containers - and all containers that have not been or cannot be rinsed must be:
- kept in a secure enclosure; and
- maintained so as to prevent container deterioration, unauthorized use, mishandling, loss, contamination of the environment, and risk to public health.
Pes 801.03 - unusable pesticides
Pesticides that are obsolete, banned, unregistered, physically altered, or otherwise unusable for their labeled uses have exactly three lawful destinations:
- Returned to the manufacturer, supplier, or formulator for recycling, destruction, or disposal, in accordance with Env-Hw 511 (Delivery of Hazardous Waste) and 40 CFR 262;
- Disposed of at an authorized solid waste or hazardous waste treatment, storage, or disposal facility, under the same rules; or
- Disposed of according to the manufacturer's label directions for that specific pesticide, provided those directions comply with Env-Hw 501.02 (Exemptions) and 40 CFR 261.7.
This is the rule that answers "what do I do with the chlordane in the barn?" Everything on the Pes 701.04 prohibited list is by definition unusable, and so are products whose New Hampshire registration has lapsed, products that have frozen and separated, and products whose labels are gone.
New Hampshire and neighboring states periodically run household and agricultural pesticide collection events through DES; these are the practical route for small quantities.
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| DECISION TREE - WHAT DO I DO WITH IT? |
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| Usable product, labeled site available? |
| -> APPLY IT according to the label. Best option. |
| Usable product, no site this season? |
| -> STORE per Pes 802; or transfer to another certified user |
| who can legally apply it. |
| Container just emptied? |
| -> TRIPLE RINSE (Pes 801.04). Rinsate into the tank. |
| Puncture or recycle. NEVER reuse (Pes 801.05). |
| Unusable, banned, unlabeled, or degraded? |
| -> Pes 801.03: return to manufacturer/supplier, OR |
| authorized waste facility, OR label-directed disposal. |
| Store securely meanwhile (Pes 801.02). |
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Worked example
An applicator finishes a job with about a pint left in a 2.5-gallon jug, an unrinsed 30-gallon drum from last season, and a torn paper bag of wettable powder.
- The pint goes into the tank and is applied to a labeled site; disposing of usable product is both wasteful and a regulated disposal event.
- The 2.5-gallon jug gets the small-container procedure: drain 10 seconds, quarter fill, recap, shake 10 seconds, pour rinsate into the tank, drain 10 seconds - three times - then puncture or route to recycling.
- The 30-gallon drum is over 5 gallons, so it gets the roll-and-tip procedure: quarter fill, tighten closures, roll on its side through at least one full revolution for 30 seconds, tip on each end several times, empty the rinsate into the tank, repeat twice.
- The paper bag is completely emptied by shaking and tapping the sides and bottom, with the residue going into the tank.
- Until the drum is rinsed it is covered by Pes 801.02 and must be held in a secure enclosure, and under Pes 802.03(c) unrinsed containers belong in the separate storage room, away from food, feed, and seed.
- None of these containers may be reused for any other purpose (Pes 801.05).
What does Pes 801.04 require of New Hampshire pesticide containers?
What is the correct procedure for pressure rinsing a pesticide container?
After thoroughly triple rinsing a pesticide jug, may an applicator use it to carry drinking water on the truck?