Recycling

Information to Help Determine What Can and Cannot be Recycled

What Can I Recycle?

The ACRC program accepts rigid high-density polyethylene (HDPE) 55-gallon containers and smaller, which previously held products utilized in agricultural crop protection (pesticides), animal health, specialty pest control, micronutrient, biologicals, fertilizer, and/or adjuvant products for professional application.

25 gallon pesticide container
pesticide jugs
large pesticide barrels

What Happens to the Plastic?

Currently, the ACRC collects around 11,000,000 lbs. of HDPE annually. This plastic is then processed to create sellable, recycled resin which is repurposed into many useful products. The Ag Container Recycling Council is continually evaluating and approving a wide array of end uses such as:

  • Agricultural drain pipe
  • Agro chemical composite IBC base plates
  • Cinder Blocks
  • Ground Protection/Construction Mats
  • Highway and agricultural fence posts
  • Highway sign posts
  • Industrial pallets for ag chemical and seed packaging
  • Landscape edging
  • Nursery pots
  • Rebar chairs
  • Spool flanges for wire cable
  • Underground utility conduit

All these applications are utilized in such a way that any residues on or in the recycled resin will have no real or perceived effect on the environment or the user.

pesticide jugs

Acceptable and clean containers are collected at an ACRC collection site

arrow down icon

arrow right icon

plastics and resins from recycled containers

Collected containers are processed into resin pellets to be used in manufacturing other products

arrow right icon

arrow down icon

end use products from pesticide container recycling

ACRC approves various end-use products for the recycled resins

Buy Recycled Plastic

Reclaimed agricultural container resin collected by independent contractors of the Ag Container Recycling Council (ACRC) program is a mixture of ag chemical container high-density polyethylene resins (AgRES).

The resins have excellent stress crack resistance, high impact strength, high melt strength, and good rigidity. The resins are initially used for blow mold extruded or injection molded agricultural chemical containers.

plastics from recycled containers

Product Types:

1. HDPE, Fractional Melt (jug/bottle regrind)
2. HDPE, High Molecular Weight, HMW (drum regrind)
3. HDPE, Injection Grade (bucket regrind)

Potential Grades:

A. Triple rinsed, ground, and unwashed
B. Triple rinsed, ground, and washed
C. Triple rinsed, ground, washed, and pelletized