New Brunswick farmers return more than 15,000 kilograms of obsolete pesticides and livestock medications

March 2, 2016, Saint John, N.B. – Farmers in New Brunswick returned 15,019 kilograms of obsolete and unwanted pesticides and 330 kilograms of livestock and equine medications through CleanFARMS’ obsolete collection campaign in 2015.

CleanFARMS, which operates the program, is a national, industry-led agricultural waste stewardship organization. Collections took place at eleven participating ag-retail locations throughout New Brunswick from November 2–13. This is the fourth collection program CleanFARMS has run in the province.

This marked the first time that a combined collection of pesticides and livestock medications has been offered in New Brunswick. CleanFARMS partnered with the Canadian Animal Health Institute (CAHI) to add the collection of livestock and equine medications to CleanFARMS’ existing program.

“The CleanFARMS collection program provides farmers with an environmentally responsible way to dispose of unused or expired pesticides and livestock medications,” said Mike Bouma, president of the Agricultural Alliance of New Brunswick (AANB). “AANB is proud to support this industry-led program that supports sustainable agriculture.”

New Brunswick farmers have a long history of good stewardship practices. Since 1998, New Brunswick farmers have returned more than 45,000 kilograms of obsolete pesticides. “We are pleased with the success of this program in New Brunswick,” said Barry Friesen, CleanFARMS’ general manager. “New Brunswick farmers’ continued dedication to the obsolete collection program proves their commitment to protecting the environment and making responsible decisions on the farm.”

The obsolete collection program is generally delivered in each province or region of the country every three years and comes at no cost to farmers. The program will return to New Brunswick in fall 2018. In between collections, farmers are encouraged to safely store their unwanted pesticides and livestock medications until they can properly dispose of them through the program.

The obsolete collection program is part of the plant science and animal health industry’s commitment to the responsible lifecycle management of their products.

For more information, please visit www.cleanfarms.ca.

For more information, please contact:
Jillian Bender, media relations
(613) 230-9881 x 3228 | media@cleanfarms.ca

Alberta farmers safely dispose of more than 72,000 kilograms of obsolete pesticides and livestock medications

February 29, 2016, Calgary, A.B. – Farmers in Alberta returned 70,737 kilograms of obsolete and unwanted pesticides and 2,162 kilograms of livestock and equine medications through CleanFARMS’ obsolete collection campaign this year.

CleanFARMS, which operates the program, is a national, industry-led agricultural waste stewardship organization. Collections took place at 20 participating ag-retail locations throughout the southern half of Alberta from October 26-30, 2015. This is the third collection program CleanFARMS has run in the province.

This marked the first time that a combined collection of pesticides and livestock medications has been offered in Alberta. CleanFARMS partnered with the Canadian Animal Health Institute (CAHI) to add the collection of livestock and equine medications to CleanFARMS’ existing obsolete pesticide collection program.

“The members of the Canadian Animal Health Institute were pleased to participate in this important program. It demonstrates our industry’s commitment to safely managing animal medications throughout their lifecycle,” said Jean Szkotnicki, president of CAHI. “We were pleased to partner with CleanFARMS by providing Saskatchewan’s livestock and equine community with this service.”

Alberta farmers have a long history of good stewardship practices and have been participating in the obsolete collections program since 1999 – which is a testament to their environmental commitment. The program last came to southern Alberta in 2012, when more than 66,000 kilograms of product was collected from farmers and safely disposed of.

“This year’s collection was a great success thanks to the commitment of Alberta farmers and participating ag-retail collection sites,” said Barry Friesen, CleanFARMS’ general manager. “CleanFARMS is proud to offer collection programs that ensure unwanted and obsolete pesticides, as well as livestock and equine medications, can be disposed of in an environmentally responsible way.”

The obsolete collection program is generally delivered in each province or region of the country every three years and comes at no cost to farmers. The program will be delivered in the northern half of Alberta in the fall of 2016. In between collections, farmers are encouraged to safely store their unwanted pesticides and livestock medications until they can properly dispose of them through the program.

The obsolete collection program is part of the plant science and animal health industry’s commitment to the responsible lifecycle management of their products.

For more information, please visit www.cleanfarms.ca.

For more information, please contact:
Jillian Bender, media relations
(613) 230-9881 x 3228 | media@cleanfarms.ca

Ontario farmers recognized for their commitment to good end of life stewardship

November 11, 2015 – Canada’s leading agricultural stewardship organization, Cleanfarms has announced the winners of The Great Ontario Clean Farms Challenge, an awards program that profiles Ontario farmers who go above and beyond when it comes to managing waste generated on their farms.

Grand prize winners Cathy and Bill Vitucci, from Wellandport, demonstrated a truly integrated approach to stewardship that covers all aspect of their first-generation farm which includes grains and oil seeds farming of wheat, corn and soybeans, custom farming services and a farm based seed dealership. In addition to consistently reducing waste on their own farm, the Vituccis donated time, space and resources to the seed industry’s empty seed bag collection pilots which gave their customers a convenient way to divert their seed bags out of local landfills.

Julie Simpson from Laprise Farms, a family cash crop and greenhouse business in Pain Court, placed second. Simpson stood out for her comprehensive, company-wide waste minimization program, which she makes available to her employees so that her good practices extend off the farm.

Rounding out the top three winners were Harold and Shelley McPhail whose commitment to stewardship on their 400-acre farm is complemented with a significant community awareness component.

“It is well-known that Ontario farmers want to reduce, reuse and recycle as much as possible,” says Barry Friesen, Cleanfarms’ general manager, pointing to the organization’s increasing collection totals for its core programs, which target empty pesticide and fertilizer containers and obsolete pesticides, as an indication of this commitment.

“Our winning entries reminded us that farmers are leaders in their communities. They make a real difference by ensuring good waste management is part of their business practices, but also look beyond their farms and encourage their neighbours to get involved. We all benefit from their efforts.” Friesen concluded.

Entries were evaluated by an industry panel that included the Ontario Agri Business Association, Farm and Food Care Ontario and the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs.

Cleanfarms Inc. is a not-for-profit industry stewardship organization committed to environmental responsibility through the proper management of agricultural waste. The organization is best known for its award winning empty container recycling program and is expanding its services in Ontario to deliver a province wide empty seed and pesticide bag program next year.

Farmers in Alberta are invited to safely dispose of their obsolete pesticides and livestock medications

October 26, 2015 – Southern Alberta farmers are invited to safely and responsibly dispose of their unwanted or obsolete pesticides and livestock (including equine) medications from October 26-30.

Cleanfarms, an industry-led, national not-for-profit agricultural waste management organization, in partnership with the Canadian Animal Health Institute (CAHI), is offering this program at no cost to farmers.

“Alberta farmers are environmentally conscious and are pleased to partner with Cleanfarms to safely dispose of obsolete pesticides and livestock medications,” said Lynn Jacobson, president of the Alberta Federation of Agriculture. “The Cleanfarms collection program provides an excellent one-stop service for Alberta farmers to continue to protect the land.”

Farmers in Alberta have a long history of good stewardship practices. Since 1998, Alberta farmers have turned in more than 300,000 kilograms of obsolete pesticides. This year is the first time in Alberta livestock and equine medications have been added to the program.

“Alberta has a history of successful collections,” said Barry Friesen, general manager of Cleanfarms. “The participation of Alberta farmers shows they are good stewards of their land and committed to protecting the environment.”

After collection, the pesticides and medications are taken to a licensed waste management facility where they are disposed of through high temperature incineration.

The following locations will be accepting obsolete pesticides and livestock/equine medications from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. on the dates specified:

         Monday, October 26, 2015

  • Crop Production Services in Fort MacLeod, 403-553-3774
  • Benalto Ag Services in Benalto, 403-746-2012
  • Richardson Pioneer in Oyen, 403-664-2620
  • Richardson Pioneer in Dunmore, 403-527-6600Tuesday, October 27, 2015
  •  Crop Production Services in Bow Island, 403-545-2277
  •  Richardson Pioneer in Magrath, 403-758-3162
  • Fox Lake Agro in Hanna, 403-854-2820
  • Richardson Pioneer in Olds, 403-556-3222Wednesday, October 28, 2015
  • Cargill in Lethbridge, 403-327-4380
  • Crop Production Services in Crossfield, 403-946-4588
  • Crop Production Services in Taber, 403-223-2807
  • Kneehill Soil Services in Drumheller, 403-823-4600Thursday, October 29, 2015
  • CHS Canada in Caresland, 403-934-4644
  •  CHS Canada in Craddock, 403-733-3529
  • Kneehill Soil Services in Linden, 403-546-4050
  • Crop Production Services in Vauxhall, 403-654-4464Friday, October 30, 2015
  • Crop Production Services in Picture Butte, 403-732-4585
  • Crop Production Services in Brooks, 403-362-2072
  • Crop Production Services in High River, 403-652-3500
  • Richardson Pioneer in Hussar, 403-787-3931The obsolete pesticide and livestock/equine medication collection program is a national program that comes to each province on a three-year rotating basis. In between collections periods, farmers are asked to safely store their unwanted pesticides and livestock medications until they can properly dispose of them through the program

 

 

For media inquiries please contact:

Erin O’Hara
Media Relations
oharae@cleanfarms.ca
613-230-9881 x 3223

Farmers in British Columbia are invited to safely dispose of their obsolete pesticides and livestock medications

October 20, 2015 – Vancouver, B.C. – Farmers from the Interior, Okanagan and Kootenay regions of British Columbia are invited to safely and responsibly dispose of their unwanted or obsolete pesticides and livestock (including equine) medications from October 20-23 in the Interior and Okanagan regions and November 4-5 in the Kootenay region.

Cleanfarms, an industry-led, national not-for-profit agricultural waste management organization, in partnership with the Canadian Animal Health Institute (CAHI), is offering this program at no cost to farmers.

“We are pleased with the success of our collection programs in the past,” said Barry Friesen, general manager of Cleanfarms. “It’s clear that British Columbia farmers are committed to the environment and to doing the right thing.”

Farmers in British Columbia have a long history of good stewardship practices. Since 1998, B.C. farmers have turned in 300,000 kilograms of obsolete pesticides, including more than 19,000 kilograms collected in the Fraser Valley and Vancouver last year. This year, Cleanfarms will once again be collecting livestock and equine medications in B.C.

“The British Columbia Agriculture Council (BCAC) appreciates the opportunity for B.C. farmers to safely return unused products through an industry-led program,” said Reg Enns, executive director of the BCAC. “The future of farming relies on a clean and sustainable environment.”
After collection, the pesticides and medications are taken to a licensed waste management facility where they are disposed of through high temperature incineration.

The following locations will be accepting obsolete pesticides and livestock/equine medications from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. on the dates specified:

          Interior Region

  • October 20: Glen Dale Agra Services in Vanderhoof at 1055 Hwy 16 W
  • October 21: 153 Mile Fertilizer in Williams Lake at 5101 Frizzi Road
  • October 22: Foothills Regional Landfill in Prince George at 6595 Foothills Boulevard
  • October 23: Quesnel Agro in Quesnel at 1280 Quesnel-Hixon RoadOkanagan Region
  • October 20: Purity Feed Ltd in Kamloops at 471 Okanagan Way
  • October 21: Growers Supply Company Ltd in Vernon at 1200 Waddington Drive
  • October 22: Growers Supply Company Ltd in Kelowna at 2605 Acland Road
  • October 23: Growers Supply Company Ltd in Oliver at 5911 Sawmill RoadKootenay Region
  • November 4: Truscott Farms in Creston at 3016 Hwy 3
  • November 5: Trop Crop Garden, Farm and Pet in Cranbrook at 2101 Cranbrook Street NThe obsolete pesticide and livestock/equine medication collection program is a national program that comes to each province on a three-year rotating basis. In between collections periods, farmers are asked to safely store their unwanted pesticides and livestock medications until they can properly dispose of them through the program.

    For media inquiries please contact:

    Erin O’Hara
    Media Relations oharae@cleanfarms.ca 613-230-9881 x3223

Empty seed and pesticide bag pilot program returns to Atlantic Canada

Etobicoke, ON –Farmers in Atlantic Canada are being offered expanded options to manage their empty seed bags. Cleanfarms will be operating an extended pilot project to collect and safely dispose of empty seed bags, at no cost to participating farmers.

This pilot is part of the agricultural industry’s commitment to the responsible management of its products throughout their entire lifecycle and will help determine the feasibility of a permanent program.

“This pilot project will build on the pesticide bag collection that is already in place in Atlantic Canada and provide farmers with more options for managing packaging waste on the farm and contributing to long-term goals of keeping agricultural waste out of landfills,” said Barry Friesen, general manager of Cleanfarms.

Cleanfarms will collect, transport and ensure collected bags are safely converted to energy at facilities that have extensive emission controls and meet all necessary provincial and federal approvals. Farmers can contribute to a clean and healthy environment by ensuring that empty seed and pesticide bags end up in the right place.

Funding for this pilot program is provided by Cleanfarms, CropLife Canada and the Canadian Seed Trade Association. ***

WHEN

May to September 2015

COLLECTION SITES

Collection sites will be located at participating retailers in Atlantic Canada. A list of participating retail collection sites can be found at Cleanfarms.ca.

WHAT

  • Empty pesticide bags: multi-walled paper, plastic and aluminum •Empty seed bags: multi-walled paper and polywoven plastic

HOW TO RETURN BAGS:

  1. Obtain free collection bags from select agricultural retailers.
  2. Ensure that your seed or pesticide bags are empty.
  3. Place the empty bags in the collection bag.
  4. Return your full, tied bags to a participating retailer. Bags will be accepted free of charge and sent for safe disposal.

Cleanfarms is a not-for-profit industry stewardship organization committed to environmental responsibility through the proper management of agricultural waste. For a list of all recycling programs, visit Cleanfarms.ca.

For more details, please contact: Dave Thompson at: dathompson.pei@gmail.com

B.C. farmers return more than 19,000 kilograms of obsolete pesticides and livestock medications

March 3, 2015, Vancouver, B.C. – Farmers in B.C. turned in 19,791 kilograms of obsolete and unwanted pesticides, and 156 kilograms of livestock and equine medications through Cleanfarms’ obsolete collection campaign in 2014.

Collections took place at five participating ag-retail and municipal locations in the Fraser Valley and Vancouver Island regions of the province from October 15 – October 23, 2014. This is the fourth collection program Cleanfarms, a national, industry-led waste stewardship organization, has run in the province.

This marked the first time that a combined collection of pesticides and livestock medications has been offered in B.C. Cleanfarms partnered with the Canadian Animal Health Institute (CAHI) to add the collection of livestock and equine medications to Cleanfarms’ existing obsolete pesticide collection program.

“Farmers want to do the right thing and responsibly manage the waste on their farms; this program really allows them to do this. The British Columbia Agricultural Council (BCAC) is proud to support a program like this that supports sustainable agriculture,” says Stan Vander Waal, Chair of BCAC.

Farmers in B.C. have a long history of good stewardship practices. Since 1998, B.C. farmers have turned in more than 226,000 kilograms of obsolete pesticides – which is a testament to their environmental commitment.

“This year’s collection was a great success thanks to the commitment of B.C. farmers and participating collection sites,” said Barry Friesen, Cleanfarms’ general manager. “B.C. farmers’ continued dedication to the obsolete collections program proves their commitment to protecting the environment and making responsible decisions on the farm.”

The obsolete collection program is generally delivered in each province or region of the country every three years and comes at no cost to farmers. The program will be delivered in the Okanagan Valley, Kootenay Valley and Interior Regions of B.C. in the fall of 2015. In between collections, farmers are encouraged to safely store their unwanted pesticides and livestock medications until they can properly dispose of them through the program.

The obsolete collection program is part of the plant science and animal health industry’s commitment to the responsible lifecycle management of their products.

For more information, please visit www.cleanfarms.ca.

P.E.I. farmers return more than 33,000 kilograms of obsolete pesticides and livestock medications

February 24, 2015, Charlottetown, P.E.I. – Farmers in P.E.I. returned 33,000 kilograms of obsolete and unwanted pesticides and 350 kilograms of livestock and equine medications through CleanFARMS’ obsolete collection campaign in 2014.

Cleanfarms, which operates the program, is a national, industry-led agricultural waste stewardship organization. Collections took place at seven participating ag-retail locations throughout P.E.I. from November 3 – 14. This is the fourth collection program Cleanfarms has run in the province.

This marked the first time that a combined collection of pesticides and livestock medications has been offered in P.E.I. Cleanfarms partnered with the Canadian Animal Health Institute (CAHI) to add the collection of livestock and equine medications to Cleanfarms’ existing obsolete pesticide collection program.

“The program provides farmers with an environmentally responsible way to manage unused or out of date pesticides as well as livestock medications on their farms. The number of farmers who participated in the collection campaign this year shows the need for this kind of program. There’s a real appreciation in the agricultural community to Cleanfarms for what they do,” says John Jamieson, executive director of the P.E.I. Federation of Agriculture.

P.E.I. farmers have a long history of good stewardship practices. Since 1998, P.E.I. farmers have returned more than 69,000 kilograms of obsolete pesticides.

“We are pleased with the success of this program in P.E.I.,” said Barry Friesen, Cleanfarms’ general manager. “P.E.I. farmers’ continued dedication to the obsolete collection program proves their commitment to protecting the environment and making responsible decisions on the farm.”

The obsolete collection program is generally delivered in each province or region of the country every three years and comes at no cost to farmers. In between collections, farmers are encouraged to safely store their unwanted pesticides and livestock medications until they can properly dispose of them through the program.

The obsolete collection program is part of the plant science and animal health industry’s commitment to the responsible lifecycle management of their products.

For more information, please visit www.cleanfarms.ca.

Cleanfarms recognized for sustainability excellence

January 28, 2015, Winnipeg, MB – Canada’s leading agricultural stewardship organization, Cleanfarms, has been awarded a 2014 Manitoba Excellence in Sustainability Award in the Sustainability in Pollution Prevention and Product Stewardship category.

Cleanfarms was recognized for its commitment to sustainability based on accomplishments in the fields such as pollution prevention, waste minimization and education and awareness of the value of sustainable development.

“Our members are pioneers in the field of product stewardship. They have been delivering effective industry-led end of life stewardship for the past 25 years, long before other industries were even thinking about it,” says Barry Friesen, general manager of Cleanfarms. “This award is particularly meaningful to us because it really focuses on tangible outcomes, which is what Cleanfarms, its members and the 110 municipal collection sites who help us deliver programming, are committed to every day.”

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the plant science industry’s empty pesticide container program, one of Canada’s first and longest running stewardship programs. Over 600,000 containers were diverted from Manitoba landfills in 2013. The launch of the obsolete pesticide collection program followed in 1998. The last obsolete pesticide collection program took place in Manitoba in 2012 when close to 75,000 kilograms of obsolete product was collected and safely disposed of.

The industry’s commitment to end of life management continues to grow with recent program add-ons which include the addition of obsolete animal health medications to the obsolete pesticide collection program and a partnership with Green Manitoba to pilot plastic film and twine collections in the province this spring and fall.

“Manitoba farmers are committed to using environmentally sustainable practices, and Cleanfarms provides us with one more tool to do this,” said Curtis McRae, vice-president of Keystone Agricultural Producers and chair of its Environment and Land Use Committee. “The strong farmer participation in Cleanfarms’ programs is an indication of our willingness to adopt practices that will protect the environment.”

The Manitoba Excellence in Sustainability Awards recognize and honour people, projects and ideas that successfully translate the principles and guidelines of sustainable development that were developed by The Manitoba Round Table for Sustainable Development into concrete and lasting achievements.

For more information on Cleanfarms’ work in Manitoba, please visit www.cleanfarms.ca.

Saskatchewan farmers safely dispose of more than 94,000 kilograms of obsolete pesticides and livestock medications

January 12, 2015, Saskatoon, SK –Farmers in Saskatchewan returned 93,935 kilograms of obsolete and unwanted pesticides and 540 kilograms of livestock and equine medications through Cleanfarms’ obsolete collection campaign this year.

Cleanfarms, which operates the program, is a national, industry-led agricultural waste stewardship organization. Collections took place at 20 participating ag-retail locations throughout the southern half of Saskatchewan from October 27 – October 31, 2014. This is the fourth collection program Cleanfarms has run in the province.

This marked the first time that a combined collection of pesticides and livestock medications has been offered in Saskatchewan. Cleanfarms partnered with the Canadian Animal Health Institute (CAHI) to add the collection of livestock and equine medications to Cleanfarms’ existing obsolete pesticide collection program.

“The members of the Canadian Animal Health Institute were pleased to participate in this important program. It demonstrates our industry’s commitment to safely managing animal medications throughout their lifecycle,” said Jean Szkotnicki, President of CAHI. “We were pleased to partner with Cleanfarms by providing Saskatchewan’s livestock and equine community with this service.”

Saskatchewan farmers have a long history of good stewardship practices and have been participating in the obsolete collections program since 1999 – which is a testament to their environmental commitment. The program last came to Northern Saskatchewan in 2011, when more than 60,000 kilograms of product was collected from farmers and safely disposed of.

“This year’s collection was a great success thanks to the commitment of Saskatchewan farmers and participating ag-retail collection sites,” said Barry Friesen, Cleanfarms’ general manager. “Cleanfarms is proud to offer collection programs that ensure unwanted and obsolete pesticides, as well as livestock and equine medications, can be disposed of in an environmentally responsible way.”

The obsolete collection program is generally delivered in each province or region of the country every three years and comes at no cost to farmers. The program will be delivered in the northern half of Saskatchewan in the fall of 2015. In between collections, farmers are encouraged to safely store their unwanted pesticides and livestock medications until they can properly dispose of them through the program.

The obsolete collection program is part of the plant science and animal health industry’s commitment to the responsible lifecycle management of their products.

For more information, please visit www.cleanfarms.ca.