Cleanfarms helping farmers dispose of unwanted agriculture pesticides and livestock medications

By Tim Kalinowski on October 15, 2021.

LETHBRIDGE HERALDtkalinowski@lethbridgeherald.com

Cleanfarms will be holding a series of collection events across southern Alberta to help farmers get rid of unwanted agricultural pesticides and old livestock medications later this month.
The goal of the collection program is to assist local farmers in disposing of these types of potent chemical and medicinal agents safely so as to prevent potential contamination of the farm environment.
“Right now in Canada there isn’t any place for these materials to be handled in a way that ensures appropriate and safe disposal,” says Cleanfarms media relations co-ordinator Barbara McConnell. “These are materials that for obvious reasons shouldn’t be stocked in back sheds and things where they could leak. You don’t really want to have them in the environment.
“The best thing possible to do with them is to ensure they are collected and properly disposed of,” she adds, “and that is what Cleanfarms does.
According to Cleanfarms, since the collection program began more than 10 years ago, 3.7 million kg of unwanted pesticides and 52,000 kg of obsolete farm animal (cattle, horses, goats, poultry) health medications have been collected across the country.
Some local collection sites and days will be Oct. 29 in Magrath at Richardson Pioneer, Milk River on Oct. 28 at Parrish and Heimbecker, and Claresholm on Oct. 26 at the local UFA Store. There are 20 collection sites throughout Alberta scheduled for different days. To see more details visit cleanfarms.ca, and click under “what to recycle & where”.
Cleanfarms does not accept full and unopened jugs of adjuvant and surfactant, only partially full and opened jugs will be accepted. It does not accept fertilizer, diluted solution, large quantities of unopened product, and treated seed, needles/sharps, medicated feed, aerosol containers, premises disinfectants/sanitizers, veterinary clinic waste and medications, ear tags, and aerosols, or any other household hazardous waste.
Cleanfarms does accept old or unwanted agricultural pesticides (identified with a Pest Control Product number on the label), commercial pesticides for golf courses and industrial and commercial pest control products (identified with a Pest Control Product number on the label), medications that are used in rearing animals in an agricultural context or for equine use (identified with a DIN number, serial number or Pest Control Product number on the label).

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