Lithuania’s Ministry of Economy and Innovation has announced ambitious plans to make at least 12 percent of the country’s economy circular in coming years. The agricultural sector focuses on improving recycling practices as part of this initiative. Currently, approximately 1 million plastic containers used to store plant protection products are discarded each year, but with changes on the horizon, these containers could be recycled, leading to significant environmental benefits. Moreover, the shift towards a circular economy in Lithuania’s agricultural sector could result in annual savings of up to €2 million for farmers.
Lithuanian farms are estimated to generate around 300,000 kg of plastic pesticide packaging waste annually. By implementing proper rinsing and recycling procedures, this waste could significantly impact environment and contribute to Lithuania’s circular economy objectives. To date, several Lithuanian farms have participated in a successful pilot project aimed at recycling pesticide packaging.
The proposed waste management system would benefit the environment and directly impact farmers. While Lithuania operates under a producer’s responsibility principle, meaning that the cost of waste management is included in the product’s price, farmers are still required to pay a second time for transporting their sorted plastic packaging from the farm
Currently, Lithuania is among the seven EU countries that lack an organised system for collecting and managing packaging for plant protection products. By 2025, the aim is for all EU Member States to establish dedicated systems for managing such packaging. France, for example, already collects up to 90 percent of all packaging sold and can serve as a valuable example for countries without a system in place, including Lithuania.
