Spray contractor hasnt triple washed containers (2024)

Enry said:

Paraquat - complete contact herbicide - highly toxic if ingested, burnt off any vegetation on the surface. Banned here since the 80's? Widely used elsewhere where we happily import food from... https://www.syngenta.co.nz/product/crop-protection/herbicide/gramoxone-250

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Banned since EU court case in 2007.
I’ve used it to burn off herbage seed aftermath before wheat.

bobk said:

We make most of it .

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Produced in Huddersfield. Important jobs for the local economy but I’ve raised this very issue many times.

Flatland guy said:

Was at Cereals last year and one stand was promoting a CTS system. They stated the industry had settled on a cap design eventually( but Covid had slowed progression) and was saying certainly be seeing the new lids this year( still use manually if want)
However have not seen one!!
Also went on about cost compared to current caps about 10 times more expensive, about £2 compared to 20p IIRC but since when have the chemical industry worried about passing on higher costs. However I mentioned about recycling of containers, well every excuse under sun, contamination blah, blah, blah. They could not understand that the farm delivery trucks could take the empties back to agri supplier who could then swap over when receiving more full containers. Since learned not sure where in world where some chemicals are made, so the industry don't seem to want to ship empty containers around the world or arrange bulk delivery to UK then packaged up in UK. So far easier for manufacturers to use new all the time.

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We used the “link caps” about 20 years ago.
The problem distribution also had was they could not differentiate between an empty return or a full return. Partial product usage caused issues too.
We even got credited by Dalgety when we returned empties .

Punch said:

Produced in Huddersfield. Important jobs for the local economy but I’ve raised this very issue many times.

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That explains a lot about @Netherfield

Raggy said:

Some chemicals can be quite sticky, and difficult to rinse out clean. If possible, then provide (fairly) hot water at the filling area and use that after the initial rinse in the induction hopper has removed most of the contents. You'll soon see a difference.

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I’ve got hot water available off biomass boiler and a few chemical drums which don’t clean easily with chem hopper, just put hot water in them and rinse again at end and they then rinse spotless

quattro said:

I’ve got hot water available off biomass boiler and a few chemical drums which don’t clean easily with chem hopper, just put hot water in them and rinse again at end and they then rinse spotless

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Had to read that twice, thought you whe getting hot water from running the boiler on empty chem drums

Does anyone just cut the drums open to clean bottom?

I've thought about just getting battery grinder and cutting base out to clean it.

Some American spray rigs have a knife system for opening containers. You don't take lid off, just dump bottom of container on knife and it splits it open.

Punch said:

Produced in Huddersfield. Important jobs for the local economy but I’ve raised this very issue many times

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It was also made in Sunderland, a few workers came down to Huddersfield when they stopped production up there, one chap in the village died at 58, his widow tried to blame, as it was then, ICI for his death. I think they paid a small lump sum to keep her quiet, all the production workers had a 12 monthly medical check up.

Brother in law worked there as a Millwright, but left when they were looking for redundancies, he's now 72 and over the last couple of years had some bed health scares, had all his bone marrow removed, cleaned and then replaced, then had to have all his childhood injections again. No one can say it's from working there though.

Phil P said:

Had to read that twice, thought you whe getting hot water from running the boiler on empty chem drums

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Sadly it’s woodchip but there seems to be quite a few that incinerate plastic drums and fert bags!!!

SpottedFlycatcher said:

Exactly. Sounds like there are plenty of people on this thread not cleaning cans. It doesn't take that long, regardless of whether I've "done much" or not. I should probably just lower my standards

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You need a few kettles near the chem store. Triple rinse & pour half a kettle of boiling water in plus some wetter, put the lid on the can & shake as hard as you can. The can flex with steam pressure & all residues will be removed easily. Works on old Mantrac cans.

Nice little job for the farmer.

Ivorbiggun said:

As someone said earlier the amount of time it would take to clean all the cans to 100% on a modern large sprayer and the amount that has to go in with todays tank mixes you would never get anything done.
I know one guy who’s got a 8000 litre tank and it can take him an hour and half to two hours to fill up on a T2 mix.
With today’s changing weather situation and pressure to get on, corners are going to get cut.
Most sprayer drivers will do the job properly, if they’re given enough time, but you’re talking about a contractor and we all know what they’re like. And large farms are the same expecting drivers to get 300ha done in a day.

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5000L sprayer here and the longest I’m ever on the fill pad is 20 minutes a fill, and that’s with triple rinsing and squashing cans.

Get organised before you start pumping, Chems laid out with foils off under lids and correct sequence of fill. Also, I find giving every can a good shake before removing foils makes them wash out a lot easier.

If I came back into the yard an hour later to see a man still filling the sprayer, things would be said.

Romeogolf said:

5000L sprayer here and the longest I’m ever on the fill pad is 20 minutes a fill, and that’s with triple rinsing and squashing cans.

Get organised before you start pumping, Chems laid out with foils off under lids and correct sequence of fill. Also, I find giving every can a good shake before removing foils makes them wash out a lot easier.

If I came back into the yard an hour later to see a man still filling the sprayer, things would be said.

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What about the time to get chem organised as you put it. It all takes time, not just about filling.

Ivorbiggun said:

What about the time to get chem organised as you put it. It all takes time, not just about filling.

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It’s not difficult, even on a big mix! Most chem comes in 5l or a box is 20l it’s simple multiplication of how many drums to put next to the induction hopper before you start. That way you don’t have to think about it while filling, if it’s next to the hopper it goes in no need to keep looking at sheets just tip and rinse.

I’ll generally try and work my tank mixes so I’m only using full drums in everything but the last mix so not too much measuring out.

Ivorbiggun said:

As someone said earlier the amount of time it would take to clean all the cans to 100% on a modern large sprayer and the amount that has to go in with todays tank mixes you would never get anything done.
I know one guy who’s got a 8000 litre tank and it can take him an hour and half to two hours to fill up on a T2 mix.
With today’s changing weather situation and pressure to get on, corners are going to get cut.
Most sprayer drivers will do the job properly, if they’re given enough time, but you’re talking about a contractor and we all know what they’re like. And large farms are the same expecting drivers to get 300ha done in a day.

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2 hours!?

What kind of sprayer is it? Is he pouring it in top!

Chae1 said:

2 hours!?

What kind of sprayer is it? Is he pouring it in top!

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Needs a 2 litre jug rather than a 1 litre?

Spencer said:

Exactly.. Triple rinse? WTF

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essex man said:

The 0.5% of chem left in some of my cans is not going to harm my wallet, my crops or the environment.
The extra time taken to ensure 100% clean is not worth it to me.
Each to his own, i guess.

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If you wash the cans out properly you can send them off for recycling.
If you don't wash them out properly they have to disposed of as "hazardous waste", that'll cost you far more than the chem' left in the can.
Given your attitude perhaps you are still burning the empties ?

Romeogolf said:

5000L sprayer here and the longest I’m ever on the fill pad is 20 minutes a fill, and that’s with triple rinsing and squashing cans.

Get organised before you start pumping, Chems laid out with foils off under lids and correct sequence of fill. Also, I find giving every can a good shake before removing foils makes them wash out a lot easier.

If I came back into the yard an hour later to see a man still filling the sprayer, things would be said.

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I get your thinking, but shaking the can then puts chemical on the foil. If you are using a complete can then don't shake it, the can wash should clean the can inside perfectly.
Intake plumbing should be done in a way that allows can washing with clean water.

britt said:

If you wash the cans out properly you can send them off for recycling.
If you don't wash them out properly they have to disposed of as "hazardous waste", that'll cost you far more than the chem' left in the can.
Given your attitude perhaps you are still burning the empties ?

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That goes for all the other cans down at the can disposal place too i guess.
I.e. mine don't stand out
I wash them out until bored.
I would burn but avoid having black smoke fires these days, it's asking for trouble.