To mark International Consumers’ Day, 15 March 2001, PAN activists and other Peruvian environmentalists protested outside Bayer S.A’s main office in San Isidro District. They demanded that the company assume responsibility for ensuring adequate final disposal of its pesticide containers, which can be found discarded in many parts of the country.
The Action Network for Alternatives to Agrochemicals (RAAA), estimates that seven million pesticide bottles and sachets are thrown away each year in Peru, with grave consequences for environmental health. There is no current legislation to establish with whom responsibility lies for proper disposal of pesticide containers. Misuse of empty containers for storing food and drink is a serious problem and has caused many acute poisoning cases. Bayer is the main producer, importer and distributor of pesticides in Peru.
Enlace 52, Red de Acción en Plaguicidas y sus Alternativas para América Latina, April 2001.
[This article first appeared in
Pesticides News No. 52, June 2001, page 17]