About ACRC
ACRC Is Celebrating 30 Years of Product Stewardship in 2022
Program Summary
The ACRC is a not-for-profit 501(c)(6) trade association that works to facilitate
the collection and recycling of one-way rigid HDPE plastic agricultural
chemical containers. This is done through member funding of cost-effective
programs that foster public health and safety, environmental protection,
resource conservation, and end-user convenience.
The ACRC is fully funded by our member companies and affiliates that
formulate, produce, package, and distribute agricultural chemical products.
If you have any questions about our work or wish to become an ACRC member, please contact us.
Implemented in 1992, this 1st in the nation industry stewardship program will celebrate its 33rd year in 2025! The recycling of 268,000,000 lbs. of Ag Chemical containers has resulted in:
Saved more than 1,333,333 cubic yards of landfill space
Reduction of 104,300 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent
Energy savings equal to 34,840,000 gallons of gasoline
The equivalent of 78,400 households’ annual energy consumption
Our History
The Ag Container Recycling Council (ACRC), a not-for-profit 501(c)(6) trade association, was incorporated on February 3, 1992, originally with the name Agricultural Container Research Council. It was formed with the primary goal being to promote the interests of manufacturers, formulators or packagers of various agricultural chemical products distributed in containers, by conducting research regarding potentially acceptable uses of recycled container plastic and developing and supporting a collection and recycling program for empty, properly-rinsed agricultural chemical containers. The founding members of ACRC were:
- Monsanto Agricultural Company
- American Cyanamid Company
- ICI Agricultural Products
- DowElanco
- Rhone-Poulenc AG Company
- Sandoz Crop Protection Corporation
- DuPont Agricultural Products
- FMC Corporation
- Rohm and Haas Company
- CIBA-GEIGY Corporation
- United Agri Products
While the Council’s original scope of containers was crop protection, micronutrient, fertilizer and adjuvant products, the scope has since been broadened to include all agricultural chemicals, including animal health, specialty pest control and biologicals. The Council is currently comprised of 55 regular member companies and 19 affiliate member companies.