Newfoundland farmers return more than 900 kilograms of obsolete pesticides and livestock medications

ST JOHN, NL, Feb. 28, 2017 /CNW/ - Farmers in Newfoundland turned in 703 kilograms of obsolete and unwanted pesticides, and 278 kilograms of livestock and equine medications through CleanFARMS' obsolete collection campaign in 2016.

Collections took place at three municipal locations in Foxtrap, Lewisporte and Deer Lake from October 18-20, 2016. The initiative is part of a program run by CleanFARMS, a national, industry-led waste stewardship organization.

This marked the first time that a combined collection of pesticides and livestock medications has been offered in Newfoundland. CleanFARMS partnered with the Canadian Animal Health Institute (CAHI) to add the collection of livestock and equine medications to CleanFARMS' existing program.

"The members of the Canadian Animal Health Institute were pleased to participate in this important program," said Jean Szkotnicki, president of CAHI. "It demonstrates our industry's commitment to safely manage animal medications throughout their lifecycle. We were pleased to partner with CleanFARMS to provide livestock and equine community with this service."

Farmers in Newfoundland have a long history of good stewardship practices. Since 1998, Newfoundland farmers have turned in more than 5,000 kilograms of obsolete pesticides – which is a testament to their environmental commitment.

"This year's collection was a great success thanks to the commitment of Newfoundland farmers and participating collection sites," said Barry Friesen, CleanFARMS' general manager. "The farmers' continued dedication to the obsolete collections program proves their commitment to protecting the environment and making responsible decisions on the farm."

The obsolete collection program is generally delivered in each province or region of the country every three years and comes at no cost to farmers. The next time the free disposal program will be delivered will be in the fall of 2019. In between collections, farmers are encouraged to safely store their unwanted pesticides and livestock medications until they can properly dispose of them through the program.

The obsolete collection program is part of the plant science and animal health industry's commitment to the responsible lifecycle management of their products.

For more information, please visit www.cleanfarms.ca.

SOURCE CleanFARMS Inc.

Maja Begovic, communications officer, [phone] x2222, [email protected]

Related Links

www.cleanfarms.ca