Free pesticide disposal program coming to Fulton County August 19

If you have old, unwanted, or unusable pesticides taking up space in your barn, garage, or storage shed, the Office of the Indiana State Chemist is offering a safe and legal way to get rid of them — and it won't cost you much, if anything at all.

The OISC Clean Sweep Pesticide Disposal Program will be held on Wednesday, August 19, from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. local time at Nutrien Ag, located at 7901 South 100 West in Rochester. The program is designed to collect and properly dispose of suspended, canceled, banned, unusable, opened, unopened, or simply unwanted pesticides — including herbicides, insecticides, rodenticides, fungicides, miticides, and more.

The disposal service is free of charge for up to 300 pounds per participant. For quantities exceeding 300 pounds, a fee of $3.00 per pound will apply for the additional weight. For most participants, that means getting rid of unwanted products at absolutely no cost.

The program is open to a wide range of participants, including public and private schools, golf courses, nurseries, farmers, agricultural dealers, cities, towns, municipalities, county units of government, and others who have received notice of the event.

One important note: empty pesticide containers will not be accepted. Participants should follow the label directions on their pesticide products for proper disposal of empty containers.

This is a valuable opportunity for anyone holding unwanted pesticides to dispose of them safely, legally, and responsibly — protecting both the environment and the community from potential hazards associated with improper storage or disposal.

For more information, email cleansweep@groups.purdue.edu.