Vancouver Island
- Cumberland – October 2
- Duncan – October 3
- Victoria – October 4
Fraser Valley
- Delta – October 10
- Langley – October 11
- Abbotsford – October 12 and 13
LETHBRIDGE, Alberta, Sept. 21, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- This fall, farmers in British Columbia on Vancouver Island and in the Fraser Valley can safely dispose of unwanted agricultural pesticides and old, obsolete livestock and equine medications through a Cleanfarms program.
Cleanfarms is operating the collection events at three municipal depots on Vancouver Island and four ag retailer locations in the Fraser Valley.
On Vancouver Island, events take place between Monday, October 2 and Wednesday, October 4.
In the Fraser Valley, event dates run between Tuesday, October 10 and Friday, October 13.
“Every time we’re here, farmers show us how important this program is to them. They save up materials and bring them to these events for drop off at no charge, recognizing that this helps keep their farms clean and ensures these materials don’t go to landfill,” says Cleanfarms’ Executive Director Barry Friesen. “For our team, it’s a great way to meet with farmers and learn about what’s on their minds while providing a service that’s valuable for them and the region as a whole.”
The crop protection industry, in partnership with the Canadian Animal Health Institute (CAHI), covers the full cost of operating the program and disposing of the materials safely.
Since the program began, more than 4,200 tonnes of unwanted pesticides and 67.3 tonnes of obsolete farm animal (cattle, horses, goats, poultry) health medications have been collected across Canada.
This year’s collection sites are in:
Vancouver Island
- Cumberland – October 2 – Comox Valley Waste Management Centre, 250-336-8083
- Duncan – October 3 – Bings Creek Recycling Centre, 250-746-2540
- Victoria – October 4 – Hartland Landfill, 250-360-3410
Fraser Valley
- Delta – October 10 – Evergro, Division of Nutrien Solutions, 604-940-0290
- Langley – October 11 – Professional Ag Distribution Inc., 604-768-5602
- Abbotsford – October 12 – Terralink, 604-864-9044
- Abbotsford – October 13 – Evergro, Division of Nutrien Solutions, 604-850-9500
Events take place from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Other details can be found on Cleanfarms.ca under “what to recycle & where”.
Materials accepted in the Cleanfarms program include:
- Unwanted (or “obsolete”) agricultural pesticides (identified with a Pest Control Product number on the label, including used miticide strips)
- Commercial pesticides for golf courses and industrial and commercial pest control products (identified with a Pest Control Product number on the label)
- Livestock/equine medications that are used on-farm in the rearing of livestock, poultry or horses in an agricultural context (identified with a DIN number, serial number, notification number or Pest Control Product number on the label)
The program does NOT accept:
- Fertilizer (including Nitric acid), rinsate diluted solution, large quantities of unopened product
- Full and unopened jugs of adjuvant or surfactant
- Treated seed
- Needles or sharps, medicated feed, aerosol containers, premises disinfectants and sanitizers (including Formaldehyde), veterinary clinic waste and medications, ear tags, and aerosols
- Domestic pesticides, fertilizers and animal health products
- Any other household hazardous waste
Cleanfarms rotates the program to regions across Canada every three years. Next fall (2024), events will return to the Okanagan, Interior and Kootenay regions and then come back to Vancouver Island and the Fraser Valley in 2026.
About Cleanfarms
Cleanfarms is an agricultural industry stewardship organization that contributes to a healthier environment and a sustainable future by recovering and recycling agricultural and related industry plastics, packaging and products. It is funded by its members in the crop protection, seed, fertilizer, animal health medication and ag plastics industries. It has staff located in Lethbridge, Alberta; Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan; Winnipeg, Manitoba; Etobicoke, Ontario; and St-Bruno, Quebec.
In addition to this program, Cleanfarms collects empty plastic agricultural pesticide and fertilizer containers, grain bags and twine for recycling. Cleanfarms also collects seed bags east of British Columbia and fertilizer bags (Quebec and PEI only) for responsible disposal.
Questions about which products are accepted in this collection program can be directed to 877-622-4460 or email Cleanfarms at info@cleanfarms.ca.
Contact:
Barbara McConnell
media@cleanfarms.ca
P. 613-471-1816
M. 416-452-2373
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/5707f18b-9808-4c5e-b32c-86d5ccc9581c
