Free agricultural waste disposal for Ontario farmers

Farmers in Eastern Ontario will this week be able to safely dispose of obsolete pesticides, used sharps, and unused animal health products - at no cost.

As part of a widespread initiative to preserve the Great Lakes Basin water quality, several agriculture industry partners and the provincial government are funding the CleanFARMS collection program. The collection runs from Tuesday, October 20 to Thursday, October 22 at 16 locations across the province.

A local coalition of farm organizations, Agricultural Groups Concerned About Resources and the Environment (AGCare), is coordinating the program.

"This is the first time we are offering collection for all of these products together and we are encouraging farmers to participate," said Lilian Schaer, projects manager with AGCare. "Every effort helps when it comes to safeguarding our water quality."

The newly expanded program is being run on a trial basis along with a study examining long-term sustainable collection options. Pesticide collection programs have been run in Canada under the CleanFARMS banner since 1998.

"Farmers are responsible environmental stewards who are committed to protecting our water and our land," said Schaer. "Water quality is important to all Ontarians, but especially to farmers, who depend on it for their lives and their livelihoods."

AGCare coordinates the program with financial support from CropLife Canada, the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, and project partners from the animal health and agricultural industries.

More than 270,000 kilograms of obsolete product were collected in Ontario during previous collection campaigns in 2001 and 2005.

-Justin Bromberg

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The program will run at the following locations during regular business hours:

Lancaster (South Glengarry): Munro's Agromart Ltd., 6011 Hwy #34

Arnprior: M&R Feeds and Farm Supply Ltd., 70 Decosta Street

Please note: Agricultural pesticide products being returned should have a PCP number on the container. Acceptable animal health products should have a label with a Drug Identification Number (DIN) or contains the terms "vaccine, bacterin, toxoid, antitoxin, antibody or diagnostic." Collection sites will not accept pesticides and animal health products in aerosol containers, medicated feed, premise disinfectants, or any household or human use items. Loose sharps will not be accepted - they must be brought in a closed rigid container. Ziploc bags are not acceptable.

For more information:

Nadine Sisk, CropLife Canada - 613-230-9881, ext 3224, siskn@croplife.ca

Lilian Schaer, AGCare - 519-212-9559, lschaer@agcare.org