Design of a common agrochemical plastic packaging waste management scheme to protect natural resources in synergy with agricultural plastic waste valorisation

The aim is to design a common agrochemical plastic packaging waste (APPW) management scheme to protect the natural resources and valorise waste materials. This scheme will be based on adapting compatible elements of ongoing national schemes where such schemes exist. It will be coherent and will exploit the research results developed by the system of valorization of agricultural plastic waste (APW) Labelagriwaste. It will pilot test the proposed scheme in the countries where no scheme exists.

State of the art of project implementation since the project start Since the project start, six project meetings took place. The Kick-off meeting in Visaltia-Greece and five biannual partners’ meetings, which were held in Lleida-Spain, in Nimes-France, in Nicosia-Cyprus, in Matera-Italy and finally in Athens -Greece. All the partners participated,presented their progress and plans,discussed on on-going issues, proposed solutions to problems when being arisen. Important pieces of knowledge and previous experience acquired in France and in Spain, were transferred to the whole partnership. Administrative and managerial issues of the project are being monitored by the LP and the JTS. The Municipality of Visaltia, as the LP, is in constant cooperation (phone, mail, etc) with the responsible of the Agrochepack project in JTS as well as with all the partnership, for every technical or administrative issue, in order that a smooth implementation of the project is ensured (Management Component). The AgroChePack Communication Plan was developed. The official AgroChePack web site was created and is continually being updated. Four AgroChePack Newsletters, Adivalor’s newletters, interviews, press conferences, press releases and articles in review were conducted and presented by local and national mass media and internet sites, even through social networking pages, such as Facebook. Brochures, DVDs and one TV-spot concerning the AgroChePack project were realized. Various presentations and seminars, to students, farmers, agrochemicals producers, agrochemical packaging producers and recyclers in Greece, Spain and France as well as to other various stakeholders and national authorities and organizations, were organized and implemented for the dissemination of the project.What’s more, other major supporting dissemination events(a tree planting in the local village of Sisamia and an open environmental event) took place. Furthermore, thirteen working meetings, with the participation of the farmers, took place. Five meetings were held in Visaltia-Greece, four meetings in Cyprus, one in France, one in Cellamare and two in Spain, one in the facilities of the agricultural cooperative Fru-Rose, with the collaboration of the Sprayer Tank designer Makato and one in the Municipality of Roselló. (Communication Component). The mapping and analysis of the current situation concerning the agrochemical packaging wastes in the designated regions was completed. To this component, apart form the partners themselves, also, high contribution was there from selected technical partners (Adivalor, Chambre d'Agriculture, Sigfito, privated firms, etc), thus,important experience and knowledge was brought by them in the project. The temporal-spatial data for the cultivations and agrochemicals used and technical characteristics of the agrochemical packages were mapped, in order to estimate waste generation and recyclability of the waste stream and design the waste management system. A novel methodology of sampling and analysis of the waste is finalized and is being tested in the pilot trials. Experiments were conducted to validate the analytical methodology of BPI . This methodology assumes the agrochemical penetrating the plastic matrix of the container is negligible. To test this, several triple rinsed containers were washed with a solvent and then, the interior surface of the container was scraped into fine particles and extracted with solvents to recover possible agrochemical that could have penetrated this layer. The analytical results confirmed that a negligible amount of agrochemical penetrates the matrix of the plastic container. These experiments conclude on analytical methodology for the determination of hazardousness. The BPI methodology is proving to be cheaper, faster and more accurate than the BASF methodology tested in parallel. he existing management systems were analyzed in Spain, in France, in Cyprus, in Greece and in Italy. The APPW sampling method was also finalized (Analysis of current situation and existing technologies Component). The design of the APPW management system and the selection of the equipment for the pilot stations were completed. Guidelines for the pilot trials were prepared and updated. Guidelines for the responsibles of the collecting points, in order that they are well formed were prepared. Guidelines for farmers in the collecting points, in order to overcame some difficulties in the classification of the waste in the collecting points, were prepared. Various guidelines for the management of APPW and particularly for the supervision officer of the station for the operator / caretaker of the center behavior rules of the users of the collection center is being prepared. Finally, guidelines were prepared for the agrochemical / packaging industry. The detailed signs that are being used at the pilot stations were prepared and updated. A cost efficient traceability scheme was developed and is being tested in the pilot trials. (Design of the APPW Management System Component). The pilot stations in the region of Visaltia (Greece), in Cellamare (Italy) and Nicosia (Cyprus) were constructed, tested and are normally operating. The managers of the pilot stations and the local farmers were informed and trained. In Cellamare the agrochemical retailers were also informed and trained (Pilot Scheme Implementation Component). The pilot tests are being monitored. The data collected so far from the pilot tests is being analysed in order to evaluate and optimize the scheme. Sampling of collected triple rinsed agrochemical packages took place at the pilot stations. These samples are being analysed to verify the effectiveness of the scheme. (Design of the Agrochemical Plastic Packaging Waste Management System Component) Training DVDs for the operation of the pilot trials were finalized and are used for the training of the farmers and supervisors and for dissemination purposes.The pilot stations are inspected and evaluated as well as the recordkeeping, the labelling and the traceability system. Empty packages of selected agrochemicals were collected,rinsed and analyzed.All the data collected from the local collection stations is being analysed at the time. The analysis of these data will quantify the success and viability of the developed waste management scheme and will allow its optimization. Technical visits and meetings in all participating countries are being conducted. The collected recyclable APPW have been transported to the final disposers. The non-recyclable of the collected APPW is being transported to insulation materials industry and will be used as alternative fuel. The pilot tests of recycling and energy recovery of the collected APPW have been scheduled to be done during the remaining period of the Project. Data were collected for the resources utilization (manpower and equipment used) and the productivity (times, capacities, distances, speeds) during the consolidation stage and the transportation and baling stage. These data were used for the analysis and optimization of the system (Pilot Scheme Implementation Component). Latest project activities and outputs Two project meetings took place in the reporting period, one in Matera-Italy and one in Athens -Greece. All the partners participated,presented their progress and plans,discussed on on-going issues, proposed solutions to problems that have arisen. Administrative and managerial issues of the project are being monitored by the LP and the JTS. The Municipality of Visaltia, as the LP, is in constant cooperation (phone, mail, etc) with the responsible of the Agrochepack project in JTS as well as with all the partnership, for every technical or administrative issue, in order that a smooth implementation of the project is ensured (Management Component). The official AgroChePack web site is continually being updated. One AgroChePack Newsletter, one Adivalor’s Newsletter, interviews, press conferences, press releases and articles in review were conducted and presented by local and national mass media and internet sites. Brochures, posters, DVDs and one TV-spot concerning the AgroChePack project were realized. Various presentations and seminars, to students, farmers, agrochemicals producers, agrochemical packaging producers and recyclers in Greece, Spain and France as well as to other various stakeholders and national authorities and organizations, were organized and implemented for the dissemination of the project.Furthermore, three working meetings, with the participation of the farmers, took place. One meeting was held in Visaltia-Greece, one in Cyprus, and one in Cellamare. For the wider dissemination of the project, FFL proceeded in the presentation of the project in the official site of the Chamber of Agriculture through Facebook (Communication Component). The design of the APPW management system and the selection of the equipment for the pilot stations were completed. Guidelines for the pilot trials were updated. Guidelines for the responsibles of the collecting points, in order that they are well formed were prepared. Guidelines for farmers in the collecting points, in order to overcame some difficulties in the classification of the waste in the collecting points, were prepared. Various guidelines for the management of APPW and particularly for the supervision officer of the station for the operator / caretaker of the center behavior rules of the users of the collection center is being prepared. Finally, guidelines were prepared for the agrochemical / packaging industry. The detailed signs that are being used at the pilot stations were updated. A cost efficient traceability scheme was developed and is being tested in the pilot trials (Design of the APPW Management System Component). The pilot station in Cellamare (Italy) was completed, tested and is normally operating. Also, the pilot stations are normally operating in Visaltia and in Cyprus. The managers of the pilot stations, the local farmers and the agrochemical retailers were informed and trained in Cellamare (Pilot Scheme Implementation Component).The pilot tests are being monitored. The data collected so far from the pilot tests is being analysed in order to evaluate and optimize the scheme. Sampling of collected triple rinsed agrochemical packages took place at the pilot stations. These samples are being analysed to verify the effectiveness of the scheme. (Design of the Agrochemical Plastic Packaging Waste Management System Component) Training DVDs for the operation of the pilot trials were finalized and are used for the training of the farmers and supervisors and for dissemination purposes.The pilot stations are inspected and evaluated as well as the recordkeeping, the labelling and the traceability system. Empty packages of selected agrochemicals were collected,rinsed and analyzed.All the data collected from the local collection stations is being analysed at the time. The analysis of these data will quantify the success and viability of the developed waste management scheme and will allow its optimization. Technical visits and meetings in all participating countries are being conducted. The collected recyclable APPW have been transported to the final disposers. The non-recyclable of the collected APPW is being transported to insulation materials industry and will be used as alternative fuel. The pilot tests of recycling and energy recovery of the collected APPW have been scheduled to be done during the remaining period of the Project. Data were collected for the resources utilization (manpower and equipment used) and the productivity (times, capacities, distances, speeds) during the consolidation stage and the transportation and baling stage. These data were used for the analysis and optimization of the system (Pilot Scheme Implementation Component). Next key steps for the project The operation of all pilot stations will continue during not only the end of the project but also beyond this. The trial tests at the Pilot Station of Cellamare is going to be completed. The partners will keep monitoring the operation of the pilot stations. Data will continue to be collected and analysed in order to optimize and quantify the system and formulate the final APPW management scheme. Efforts to utilize the experience and data from the pilot operations in order to optimize the proposed APPW collection scheme, will continue.The final location of the proposed stations to cover Visaltia will be finalized. Guidelines will be finalized. Communication and management issues are also running. Meetings with local stakeholders and national authorities are scheduled, in order to achieve continuation of the collection scheme after the project’s end. Training activities for the farmers in Cellamare, optimization of the proposed scheme, dissemination activities to other neighbouring municipalities and other local authorities will continue on behalf of the Italian partners,in order to continue the project’s activities and role even after its end. Visaltia,will organize a large-scale dissemination event for promoting the project's purposes and results to the whole prefecture of Serres, where the Municipality of Visaltia is located, as this prefecture(where six Municipalities in total exist)is an agricultural area, and good practices, which are carried out by the project's implementation has to be promoted and rollovered throughout the prefecture, in order them to be imitated and serve as a useful tool to the local community. The event will also be open to public.In the following 3 months Visaltia undertakes also to:1)Circulate at least one press release, regarding the progress of the project, 2)Prepare ppt presentations in order to present the Project objectives and results to local schools.3)Circulate 3 brochures concerning the Agrochepack Project,the triple-rinsing method and protective pesticides measures which should be adopted. FFL undertakes to make some propositions of improvement of national scheme,to follow with communication operations and dissemination of results, at local and national level for the valorisation of the project, to disseminate the results of the programme, with a brochure and a video, which presents good practices. ARI plans to organize a conference for publicizing the final results of the project. Management activities will also be running. Dissemination activities will be done in order to raise awareness. Next project meeting is scheduled for 16th-17th May in Bari (Italy). The final conference of the project will be held in Bari at 15th May, in order to guarantee the transnational dissemination of the results of the project.