Disposal
Disposal of empty pesticide containers and pesticide waste is regulated under federal and provincial legislation. Improper disposal or dumping of pesticide waste can harm the environment and contaminate drinking water. It is also illegal.
More detailed information on proper disposal can be found on the Ministry of Environment web site:
Safe disposal of unwanted pesticides (PDF)
There are different options for disposal of empty pesticide containers or old, unwanted pesticides.
For pesticides with the word “Domestic” on the label:
- Leftover pesticides and empty containers with the poison symbol or flammable symbol on the label are accepted at Product Care – Paint Plus depots, free of charge. See www.regeneration.ca for more information.
- Leftover pesticides that do not have a poison symbol (
) on the label can be disposed of in regular household garbage. Do not pour leftover pesticides down a drain. - Empty plastic, metal or aerosol containers without a poison or flammable symbol (
) can be dropped off free of charge at a Multi-Material BC (MMBC) depot. See http://www.multimaterialbc.ca for more information. - Empty plastic, metal or aerosol containers can be placed in your blue box unless the container has a diamond “warning” or octagon “danger” shape, or poison or flammable symbol.
- If you are unsure and the websites above are not useful, contact your local municipality or regional district.
- Please note that some biological herbicides or select natural pesticides will have an expiry date. Make sure to check for a date on these products.
- If you are in doubt of an old product, contact the Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) to ensure a product is still registered for use in Canada.
For pesticides with the words “Restricted”, “Commercial” (or Agricultural, Forestry, Horticultural or Industrial) on the label:
- Empty containers are accepted at Clean Farms depots (see www.cleanfarms.ca for more information)
- If you have obsolete or unwanted commercial pesticides, store them in a proper storage facility until a free disposal event is planned for your local area (generally every three years), or contact a waste disposal company. See www.cleanfarms.ca for more information.
- Note: RAC holders are certified to use only Domestic classed pesticides.