In the 1988 amendments to the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), Congress required the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to write regulations on container designs that facilitate the safe use, safe disposal and residue removal of pesticides from containers.

In order to provide a strong technical foundation for these regulations, Congress also required the Agency to conduct a pesticide container study which would study the options to encourage or require the following: - The return, refill and reuse of pesticide containers; - The development and use of formulations that facilitate the removal of pesticides from containers; and, - The use of bulk storage facilities to reduce the number of pesticide containers requiring disposal.

After consulting with industry, environmental and user groups, the Agency established a contract with the Research Triangle Institute (RTI) to conduct the container design study. This study was started in March, 1989. The first phase of the study, which lasted from March through October, 1989, was to collect information on the areas required by Congress. The approach was: - To assess currently available pesticide containment and delivery systems in the United States; - To assist the Agency in developing design criteria or standards that will encourage to return, refill, reuse and recyclability of pesticide containers; and, - To recommend options to the Agency on methods which would facilitate residue removal.