Alberta farmers turned in more than 66,000 kilograms of obsolete or unwanted pesticides for safe disposal last year. The obsolete pesticide collection program took place across the southern half of the province over a five-day period in October and November where farmers dropped off old or unwanted pesticides.

The program is run by Cleanfarms, a national industry-led agricultural waste-stewardship organization. The obsolete pesticide collection program has been operating since 1998 and since then, Alberta farmers have turned in 203,889 kilograms of obsolete pesticides. After collection, the pesticides are taken to a licensed waste management facility located in northern Alberta where they are safely disposed through high-temperature incineration.

The obsolete pesticide collection program generally comes to the province every three years and is free for farmers to participate in. In 2013, the program will run in the northern half of the province. In between collections, farmers are asked to safely store their unwanted pesticides until they can properly dispose of them through the obsolete pesticide collection program.

Cleanfarms collects all liquid and dry granular commercially labelled pesticides. They come in all sizes and types of containers from as small as 250 millilitres up to 500-litre totes. They can also include products delivered in multi-walled paper and plastic bags.

The products are mainly for farm use but may also include obsolete pesticides from golf courses, commercial landscape operations and structural pest control. The program is part of the plant science industry’s commitment to responsible life cycle management of its products.