Maryland Department of Agriculture Pesticides Disposal Program Returns

Free disposal available to farmers and/or agricultural commodity producers

ANNAPOLIS, MD (August 13, 2024)– The Maryland Department of Agriculture, in cooperation with the University of Maryland Extension, has announced the return of the Pesticide Disposal Program.  Open to growers in Maryland, the program allows farmers and agricultural partners to dispose of unusable or unwanted agricultural pesticides in a safe manner.

“This is an excellent opportunity for growers to safely dispose of old, banned, unwanted or unusable pesticides that may have been stored on their property for years,” said Maryland Secretary of Agriculture Kevin Atticks.  “This program is part of the Department’s commitment to remove a potential source of environmental contamination in the Chesapeake Bay and other valuable water resources.”

The Pesticide Disposal Program has been available to Maryland farmers and agricultural commodity producers since 1995.  Eleven programs have been conducted, with more than 230,000 pounds of unusable or unwanted pesticides collected from 423 farm sites throughout Maryland.  The program is funded through a federal grant as well as with licensing, certification and registration fees collected from pesticide businesses, certified applicators and registered employees and/or pesticide registration fees paid for by pesticide manufacturers and registrants.

The program is available free of charge to all farmers, nurserymen, greenhouse operators and Christmas tree growers.  Registration forms to participate in the program are available at https://mda.maryland.gov/plants-pests/Pages/pesticide_regulation.aspx. You can also contact the Maryland Department of Agriculture or your local University of Maryland Extension office.  The deadline for registration forms to be submitted to MDA is January 15, 2025.

For additional information including details on the process of collection, please contact the Pesticide Regulation Section at 410-841-5710.

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