An analytical framework to decode socioeconomic interplays in pesticides and fertilizer container collection patterns using land dynamics metrics

This study analyzes pesticide and fertilizer container collection trends across Canadian agricultural regions over a seven-year period from 2016 to 2022 through an analytical framework and proposed two land metrics. A 28.3 % decrease in the collection of small empty pesticide and fertilizer containers (EPFCs) coincides with a 41.4 % increase in the collection of non-refillable bulk containers (NRBCs) among associated businesses, indicating a trend toward larger containers, influenced by economic incentives and regulatory guidelines. Nine Canadian provinces were into two regions (developed and emerging) based on their agricultural activities. The agricultural stewardship organization's spatial collection coverage ratios were notably higher in the developed regions (0.003 to 0.010) than in the emerging ones (0.001 to 0.006), suggesting that recycling services are more efficient in areas with intense agricultural activity. The median EPFC collection rates varied significantly, with the developed regions showing more stability and higher densities (0.24 to 0.41 containers per million CAD) than the emerging ones (0.12 to 0.27 containers per million CAD). The emerging regions exhibited higher land use collection ratios, while the developed regions reported significantly lower ratios, reflecting the challenges posed by larger farm landscapes. The developed collection regression models (R² = 0.82 to 0.89 and p < 0.0001) highlighted labor and economic factors as predictors of collection efficiency in both regions. These findings indicate that stronger economic incentives and focused infrastructure upgrades could enhance EPFC collection efficiency, especially in the less developed agricultural areas. Targeted policies that enhance collection infrastructure and integrate labor and economic factors to improve stewardship efficiency and support environmental sustainability are recommended.