Department Announces Dates for Pesticide Container Recycling Program

ANNAPOLIS, MD – The Maryland Department of Agriculture’s Pesticide Regulation Section has announced 2020 dates and locations for its pesticide container recycling program. Each regional location will offer multiple recycling dates from June through September. This free program allows farmers, certified applicators, and other pesticide users to recycle used plastic containers at no cost. 

“In addition to providing an alternative option for disposal of pesticide containers, this program helps prevent pesticide residues from reaching soil and local waterways while diverting material away from landfills,” said Secretary Joe Bartenfelder. “I want to thank the Agricultural Container Recycling Council for its continued support as we enter the program’s twenty-seventh year. I encourage anyone with empty pesticide containers to take full advantage of this free, convenient program.”

Maryland’s pesticide container recycling program is a partnership between federal, state and local agencies and private industries. The program is free and open to all agricultural producers and pesticide applicators. The Agricultural Container Recycling Council provides a chipper to grind the used plastic containers into flakes, which are then transported to a contractor for recycling. The containers collected in Maryland have yielded nearly 1 million tons of recyclable plastic flakes.

A schedule of collection dates and locations is available on the department’s website. All recycling events will be subject to requirements of emergency orders related to COVID-19. All patrons and staff should wear cloth face coverings and follow best practices established by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Maryland Department of Health.

For additional information, or to schedule a chipping date at your site, contact the department’s Pesticide Regulation Section at 410-841-5710. 

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