The preparation of materials for their final destination. They can be shredded or compacted to reduce volume.

The different possibilities for final destination, which areincineration, recycling, reutilization, energy generation, or the landfill.

An authorized Installation or facility dedicated to receiving empty pesticide and related substances containers that have previously undergone the Triple Rinse procedure in the field. At the collection center, they will be adequately conditioned to be sent to their final destination.

A machine that compacts or reduces the size of plastic, metal, paper and cartons into easily transportable bales.

The different alternatives utilized for definitively eliminating the containers or reutilizing them. These can beincineration, recycling, reutilization, energy production, or the landfill.

It´s the amount of containers that are used in each country’s market annually. Containers must be classified according to group (washable and non-washable) and composition (kind of plastic, metal, paper, carton, metalized bags, etc.)

Operation destined to reutilize, neutralize, destroy or isolate waste products or used pesticide containers in an environmentally friendly manner.

It´s the perforation of the container’s bottom which does not permit its reuse. It must be done after the triple rinsing and before taking it to the collection center.

Procedures established to wash the container immediately after emptying it in order to significantly decrease the pesticide residues. It can be done using the Triple Rinsing method or using the Pressure Rinsing method with modern equipment.

A collection structure on farms or centers intended for primary accumulation of containers that have been previously rinsed by the farmer with the Triple Rinsing method. These containers are collected and taken to the collection centers for their conditioning.

Parts per million.

The transformation of residual materials using different processes which permit restitution of their economic value or utilization of their energy value, preventing contamination. The restitution must contribute to saving energy and raw materials without prejudice to health and ecosystems.

It is the use of empty containers as alternative fuel to generate or utilize energy through direct incineration with or without other residues, recuperating heat.

Place authorized by local and national authorities to deposit dangerous residues.

It is the quantity of product that after an adequate washing still adheres to the walls of the containers or is absorbed by the container’s material itself. It is measured by PPMs or by percentage of active ingredient contained by the container and its material.

Products or containers that due to the low quantity of product residue, can be considered non-dangerous, according to national and international requirements. A maximum residue content limit of less than 100 PPM = 0.01% of the product originally contained is proposed.

Those that possess corrosive, reactive, explosive, toxic, or flammable characteristics or which contain infectious agents that confer them dangerous, such as containers, packing and soils which may have been contaminated when moved from one site to another, in conformity with to what is established by corresponding regulations. In the case of containers which have contained a pesticide, these are considered dangerous when the residue is greater than 100 PPM of the product.

The principle by which it is recognized that urban solid residues and special management residues are generated when activities that satisfy society’s needs are realized, through production, processing, bottling and distribution chains. Consequently, their integral management is a social co-responsibility that requires joint, coordinated and differentiated participation from producers, distributors, consumers, by-product users and the government, under a market feasibility scheme and environmental, technological, economic and social efficiency.

A way of cleaning empty containers which is mostly used and practiced in the countryside. It consists of rinsing the container three consecutive times the container and emptying the rinsing fluid into the spray tank. Triple rinsing more than 99% effective.

A special machine that crushes the rigid plastic containers. The ideal crusher is one that is big enough to crush a whole container, and that has at least a 10 liter capacity and a crushing power of approximately 100 kg/hour.

The additional work done to collected containers before their conditioning, in order to increase their value. For example, classification according to kind of material, label cleaning, washing, etc.

Provide exclusive rights to inventors for a fixed period of time in exchange for the disclosure of an invention. A patent provides the right to exclude others from making, using, selling, offering to sale or importing the patented invention for the term of the patent, which is usually 20 years from the date the patent is filed with the national patent office.

Is a formula, practice, process, design, instrument, pattern, or compilation of information which is not generally known or reasonably ascertainable, by which a business can obtain an economic advantage over competitors or customers. In some jurisdictions, such secrets are referred to as "confidential business information" or "classified information".

Is the protection from unauthorized commercial use of health and efficacy data submitted for regulatory purposes.

Also known as plant breeder's rights, are rights granted to the breeder of a new variety of plant that give him exclusive control over the propagating material (including seed, cuttings, divisions, tissue culture) and harvested material (cut flowers, fruit, foliage) of a new variety for a number of years.

Is a set of exclusive rights granted to the author or creator of an original work, including the right to copy, distribute and adapt the work. This protection is available to both published and unpublished works.

Is granted to reduce confusion in the marketplace by preventing the unlicensed use of the registered mark, or one of a similar nature, on goods which are the same or similar to those for which the mark is registered.

An agreement about Aspects of Intellectual Property related to trade, TRIPS, according to its acronym in English. It was established in December of 1993 in the Uruguay GATT (General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade) round, when the member countries agreed to revise their laws and adapt them in order to protect the patents, trademarks, copyright, industrial designs and trade secrets. The application for countries in general was to begin on the 1st of January of 1996 and for developing countries on the 1st of January of 2000.

An invention is any human intellect creation, capable of being used in industry, which complies with the patent conditions foreseen in this law. It can be a product, a machine, a tool or a manufacturing procedure, accounting processes, software, and it will be protected by the invention patent. Also protected the creation of a new technical idea and of the physical means to put it into practice or give it tangible form. For an invention to be patented it must be new, have some usefulness and be distinct from other similar ones.

It is one of the 16 specialized agencies of the United Nations system. Its venue is Geneve, Switzerland and was created in 1967. It is responsible for promoting the protection of intellectual property around the world.

International organism responsible for the exchange rules between nations. Its three fundamental objectives are: help trade to flow with the greatest freedom possible; to serve as a forum for trade negotiations and to propitiate the resolution of disputes.