Reverse Logistics in the Disposal of Empty Pesticide Packaging—A Case Study in the Municipality of Ibirama, Santa Catarina, Brazil
摘要
Brazil is an important player in the food production sector. Among other environmental problems associated with the development of this activity, conventional agriculture generates a type of waste that should be highlighted due to its pollution potential and/or its hygienic aspect: Pesticide packaging. These materials must be returned to the place where the products were purchased, which is called reverse logistics and is a tool of the National Solid Waste Law. This research shows the results of the third stage of the university extension project entitled Agriculture and Socio-Environmental Responsibility in the Alto Vale de Itajaí, Santa Catarina, in which, firstly, the health aspects of rural properties in Ibirama were identified, including general knowledge about the risks associated with pesticides and the destination of empty containers, then environmental education activities were carried out with young people and adolescents in the region and, finally, a situational diagnosis of the destination of empty pesticide containers was carried out. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of the campaign for the collection of empty pesticide containers organized by the Municipality of Ibirama (27º03′25” south 49º31′04” west), in collaboration with the Agricultural Association of the Itajaí River Basin, for the years 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022. The municipality has around 550 registered farmers. In the collection organized by the municipality of Ibirama for 2019, 52 farmers participated and 1,056 plastic containers (855 washable and 201 non-washable), seventy-seven cardboard containers, 854 lids and eleven glass bottles were collected. In 2020, 77 farmers participated in the itinerant collection and 1,674 plastic containers, 15 kg of flexible packaging, 60 kg of cardboard and 1,674 lids were collected. In 2021, 58 farmers participated in itinerant acceptance and 1311 washed plastic packaging, 6.73 kg flexible packaging, 34 kg cardboard and 1386 caps were collected. In 2022, 72 farmers participated in itinerant acceptance and 1649 washed plastic packaging, 26.77 kg flexible packaging, 82 kg cardboard and 1596 caps were collected. Although the number of farmers did not increase in the period covered (2019–2022), the number of farmers who took part in the packaging collection campaigns has increased over the years. The disposal of empty packaging must be conducted correctly and in accordance with environmental legislation to avoid pollution of the environment, reduce health risks for the population and ensure the quality of life for generations. Therefore, monitoring the process of reverse logistics, as carried out in this work, is essential.