ADA collects over 5,000 pounds of unwanted pesticides

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KAIT/Edited News Release) - The Arkansas Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Abandoned Pesticide Program collected 503,097 pounds of unwanted pesticides across 11 counties during 2023 collection events.

Since 2005, the Agricultural Abandoned Pesticide Program has overseen the collection and disposal of 6,368,037 pounds of unwanted pesticides in counties across Arkansas.

“The Arkansas Department of Agriculture is proud to work with our partners in administering the Agricultural Abandoned Pesticide Program,” says Arkansas Secretary of Agriculture Wes Ward. “Events like these held annually throughout the state, help ensure safe and proper disposal of unwanted pesticides and prevent them from potentially polluting our environment.”

The totals for each event were:

Columbia/Union County: 1,347 pounds
Bradley/Cleveland County: 2,200 pounds
Calhoun/Ouachita County: 275 pounds
Clark/Dallas County: 275 pounds
Craighead County: 168,000 pounds
Poinsett County: 130,000 pounds
Mississippi County: 201,000 pounds

Participation in collection events is free and anonymous to farmers and other non-industrial landowners.

The program is funded through pesticide registration fees.

Pesticide collection events have taken place in every county in the state.

Commonly collected items include old or outdated pesticides such as calcium arsenate, sodium cyanide, lindane, chlordane, and 2,4,5-T. Registered pesticides, like glyphosate products and 2,4-D, that are unusable because they have been exposed to the elements or have been held over from previous growing seasons also can be collected.

The Agricultural Abandoned Pesticide Program is conducted in cooperation with the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service, Arkansas Farm Bureau, and the Arkansas Department of Energy and Environment.