Saskatchewan farmers safely dispose of more than 184,000 kilograms of obsolete pesticides and livestock medications

REGINA, Jan. 24, 2018 /CNW/ - Farmers in Saskatchewan returned 181,804 kilograms of obsolete and unwanted pesticides and 2,804 kilograms of livestock and equine medications through Cleanfarms' obsolete collection campaign this past year.

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

Cleanfarms, which operates the program, is a national, industry-led agricultural waste stewardship organization. Collections took place at 20 participating ag-retail locations throughout the southern half of the province from October 23-27, 2017.

Cleanfarms partnered with the Canadian Animal Health Institute (CAHI) to add the collection of livestock and equine medications to its existing obsolete pesticide collection program in 2014.

"The Canadian Animal Health Institute members are demonstrating their on-going commitment to safely managing animal medications throughout their lifecycle," says Jean Szkotnicki, president of CAHI. "We are pleased to be able to continue partnering with Cleanfarms in providing a valued service to Saskatchewan's livestock and equine community."

Saskatchewan farmers have a long history of good stewardship practices and have been participating in the obsolete collections program since 1999, which is a testament to their environmental commitment. The program was previously available in Saskatchewan in 2014/2015.

"This year's collection was a great success thanks to the commitment of Saskatchewan farmers and participating collection sites," says Barry Friesen, general manager of Cleanfarms. "We're proud to offer collection programs that ensure unwanted and obsolete pesticides, as well as livestock and equine medications, can be disposed of in an environmentally responsible way."

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 program will be delivered in the northern half of the province in the fall of 2018. 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.

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

SOURCE CleanFARMS Inc.