ONTARIO—Ontario farmers are invited to safely and responsibly dispose of their unwanted or obsolete pesticides and livestock (including equine) medications from September 20-30. This collection program is offered at no cost to Ontario farmers. On Manitoulin Island the collection program will take place September 27-29 at the Northland Agromart in Gordon/Barrie Island.
CleanFARMS, an industry-led national not-for-profit agricultural waste management organization, partnered with the Canadian Animal Health Institute (CAHI) and the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs to co-fund the disposal program with support from CropLife Canada, the Ontario Agri-Business Association, Farm and Food Care Ontario and the Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association to offer the free program.
“Ontario farmers are environmentally conscious and are pleased to partner with CleanFARMS to safely dispose of obsolete pesticides and livestock medications,” says Craig Hunter from the Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association. “The CleanFARMS collection program provides an excellent one-stop service for Ontario farmers to continue to protect the land.”
Farmers in Ontario have a long history of good stewardship practices. Since 1998, Ontario farmers have turned in more than 500,000 kilograms of obsolete pesticides.
“Ontario has a history of successful collections,” says Barry Friesen, general manager of CleanFARMS. “The participation of Ontario farmers shows that they are good stewards of their land and committed to protecting the environment.”
After collection, the pesticides and livestock medications are taken to a licensed waste management facility where they are disposed of through high temperature incineration.
