We are pleased to be hosting not one, but two drumMUSTER events over the next week.

On Friday, 11 August we are hosting drumMUSTER Inspector Training at Central West Lachlan Landcare from 9am and on Thursday, 17 August we will be running a drumMUSTER collection at Parkes Waste Depot from 9am. Bookings are essential here.

These collections are only possible thanks to the contribution of time (and usually some good humour) from our lovely volunteers.

As with any initiative like drumMUSTER, we rely on volunteers to collect and pack drums. If you are interested in joining us, three hours of training is being held on Friday, including morning tea and lunch. Contact Marg to register.

Proper rinsing and cleaning are the first steps in safely disposing of empty agvet chemical containers. Any rinsing should be carried out immediately after emptying the chemical container, as residues are a lot harder to remove when dry.

Under current regulations in most states, containers that haven’t been properly rinsed can be classified as hazardous waste.

Developed with the environment in mind, the drumMUSTER program collects and recycles eligible, pre-cleaned agricultural and veterinary chemical containers.

drumMUSTER is a national product stewardship program that is supported by agvet chemical manufacturers, industry stakeholders which includes member and farming associations, state and local governments.

drumMUSTER has established collection facilities all over Australia and since its inception in 1998 the program has recycled over 40 million containers.

Once the containers have been collected, they are recycled into re-usable products such as wheelie bins, road signs, fence posts and bollards.

Participating manufacturers are identified by the inclusion of the eligible drumMUSTER container logo on their eligible containers. Containers not displaying this logo may be from non-participating manufacturers and will not be accepted into the program.

As more resellers turn to using Intermediate Bulk Containers (IBCs) for their customers’ agvet chemical needs, many are still unsure about the right way to return IBCs once they’ve been used. The return process can be confusing, especially with multiple manufacturers of IBCs with different return policies.

Further links to drum Muster information and cleaning procedures are available here. Keeping our volunteers safe during handling of drums is very important. Thanks for helping out!

Bookings are essential and can be made via the link on our website or social media. Alternatively, you can contact Marg on 0418 611 053.

For further information on this article, please go to www.centralwestlachlanlandcare.org, Twitter, Facebook or Instagram @cwllandcare