B.C. farmers turn in more than 47,000 kilograms of obsolete pesticides

ETOBICOKE, ON, April 25, 2013 /CNW/ - Farmers in British Columbia turned in more than 47,000 kilograms of obsolete or unwanted pesticides in 2012 for safe disposal.

The program took place across the Peace Region in August and moved to the Interior and Okanagan in October. In 2011, the program ran in the Fraser Valley and Vancouver Island. Over the course of the two-year period, B.C. farmers turned in more than 67,000 kilograms of obsolete pesticides.

"We're very pleased to see back-to-back years of successful collections in the province," says Barry Friesen, general manager of CleanFARMS. "B.C. farmers' participation in this program shows how committed they are to protecting the environment and making responsible decisions on their farms."

The obsolete pesticide collection program is operated by CleanFARMS, a national industry-led agricultural waste stewardship organization. Since 1998, B.C. farmers have turned in almost 254,000 kilograms of obsolete pesticides.

The most recent phase of the program was funded in part by the Agriculture Environment and Wildlife Fund of the B.C. Investment Agriculture Foundation through the Agri-Food Futures Fund, a trust jointly funded by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and the B.C. Ministry of Agriculture. It was delivered by ARDCorp, the program delivery arm of the B.C. Agriculture Council.

"I commend the leadership shown by CleanFARMS in taking responsibility for developing the program through partnerships within their sector of the industry and with agencies, producers and local governments," says Greg Norton, chair of the Agriculture Environment Initiatives Management Committee. "The excellent response by producers is a credit to everyone involved."

After collection, the pesticides are taken to a licensed waste management facility where they are safely disposed of through high-temperature incineration.

The obsolete pesticide collection program is delivered in regions of the province every three years and is free for farmers to participate in. 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.

The program is part of the plant science industry's commitment to responsible lifecycle management of its products.

Backgrounder

The obsolete pesticide collection program was launched by industry in 1998 as part of its commitment to the responsible lifecycle management of its products. In 2010, CleanFARMS was formed to manage industry-funded agricultural waste management programs, including the obsolete pesticide collection program.

What are pesticides?
Pesticides are substances registered by Health Canada's Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) that are used to control pest pressures, including fungi, insects and weeds, that can cause damage to crops.

What kinds of products are collected?
We collect all liquid and dry granular commercially labeled 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.

Why do obsolete pesticides exist?
Farmers and applicators can generate obsolete pesticides for a number of different reasons, including:

• They may have saved product one year and decided to use a new product the next year;
• A farmer may have leftover pesticides from previous years that has become de-registered and no longer legal for use;
• Farm ownership can change leaving the new owner with leftover product on site;
• Farmers may start growing different crops that require different pest control products than what they currently have; and
• Pest pressures can change from when farmers first purchase products leaving them with unusable products leftover.

How are obsolete products handled and destroyed after they have been returned?
All products are safely disposed using specialized high-temperature incineration, which is the most environmentally responsible disposal option. The incineration facility that CleanFARMS normally uses is approved by Environment Canada and is located in northern Alberta.  It is a world-class facility developed and built specifically for the management of hazardous waste.

Obsolete pesticides returned during the collection process are safely packed in leak-proof containers and transported by a licensed and insured hazardous waste hauler. When properly packaged and handled by trained professionals, these products do not pose a health and safety risk.

What safety measures are in place to manage potential spills?
CleanFARMS and its contractors have very detailed emergency response plans in place to manage any accidents or spills that may occur. Since the program began in 1998, there have not been any spills or accidents.

SOURCE: CropLife Canada

JillianBender
613-230-9881
[email protected]