Why are People Friendly Weed Killers Hard to Find?

Q. The class-action lawsuits against the weedkiller
“Roundup” claims it can cause lymphoma. Nonetheless, nurseries and big box
stores still carry it and even promote it. Isn’t there a safer weedkiller? I
have been using “BurnOut” made by Bonide which is promoted as being pet and
people safe. Why is it so hard to find?

A. Products like “BurnOut” are not required to show
“efficacy data” before entering the consumer market. “Efficacy data”
demonstrates to the regulatory agency that it does what it says it does. It’s a
form of consumer protection. There are other companies besides Bonide thatproduce products like these.

          
There is a list of ingredients considered “organic” and exempt from regulationby the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).  Each state
determines if these products should be sold or not through whatever regulatory
agency is responsible. Efficacy data may or may not be required by a state.

          
“BurnOut” contains citric acid and clove oil as active ingredients. “Roundup”
contains glyphosate as its active ingredient. “BurnOut” is a weedkiller that
kills by contact. “Roundup” moves inside the plant and is therefore considered
a systemic weedkiller. If you look at both labels, “Roundup” must demonstrate
that it does what it says it does. This requires EPA registration. There is a
federal registration number on the label showing it has met that requirement.

          
Citric acid and clove oil are considered “organic ingredients” and do not
require the submission of efficacy data to the federal EPA. There is no federal
EPA registration number on the “BurnOut” label. Also, PPE (Personal Protective
Equipment such as gloves and eye/nose protection) is not required when using products
like “BurnOut”. You must wear PPE when using “Roundup”.

          
My guess is that products such as “BurnOut”, as well as homemade weed killerrecipes promoted on the Internet, are “contact weed killers”. Whatever plants
with leaves you spray, you kill. “Roundup” is a systemic weedkiller that mostly
targets grasses but kills many other plants as well and kills the roots as well
(systemic) so there is little to no regrowth of perennial weeds.

          
Why products like “BurnOut” are not found more? I think a lot of it has to do
with the investment the company makes when developing these products, in many
cases millions of dollars. I don’t believe Bonide does not have to invest as much money and
show “efficacy data” when developing and marketing a product like “BurnOut”. I
will handle this in more detail on my blog.