PAN UK's Local Action on Pesticides home and garden survey

Most households in the UK use pesticide - knowingly or unknowingly. But little is known about the health and environmental impacts. As a result, PAN UK has launched a wide-ranging survey of members of the public to find out more about the pesticides lurking in their homes. Last year UK householders doused their homes and gardens with £35 million worth of pesticides with a combined weight of 4,306 tonnes. Home and garden sales showed a marked increase of 38% between 1999 and 2000. 
    Members of the public are not trained in pesticide use and while treatments against some pests are important, people have little information to help them decide when to spray and if safer alternatives are available. As much as 20% of pesticides are disposed of by householders pouring them down the drain. This can pollute rivers and even drinking water.
    Disposing of pesticides accumulated in garden sheds and kitchen cupboards over several years with ordinary household refuse can pose a serious risk to the environment and public health. Ordinary landfills are not designed to accept hazardous waste, municipal waste incinerators will convert pesticides into even more toxic chemicals and the cost of specialist destruction is too high.
    No attempt has been made by either government or industry to quantify the volume of pesticide containers or products being disposed of in landfill sites. The survey aims to illustrate how home and garden pesticides are being used and disposed of.

The survey takes the form of a questionnaire posted on our website at http://www.pan-uk.org/lap/survey.htm or may be sent by post on request. Each person completing the questionnaire will receive a free set of 12 Pest in the Home fact sheets containing details of least toxic pest control for the home and garden.

[This article first appeared in Pesticides News No. 53, September 2001, page 19]