Pesticide container recycling up 25 percent in one state

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Virginia recycled more than 88,000 pounds of plastic pesticide containers in 2012, a 25 percent increase from the previous year.

Officials say the containers were collected at 29 sites across Virginia. That included 17 localities, ten licensed dealers and commercial applicators and two private agricultural producers.

Since its inception, the recycling program has collected more than 1.2 million pounds of plastic that were granulated and then remanufactured into new products.

The granulated chips are transported to recycling facilities and made into items such as pallets, fence posts, field drain tiles and parking stops. That keeps the containers out of landfills.