HONOLULU — Farms and other commercial users of pesticides on Oahu will be able to safely dispose of canceled, suspended, unwanted or unlabeled pesticides thanks to a pesticide disposal program provided by the Pesticides Branch of the Hawaii Department of Agriculture, according to a news release.
The pesticide disposal program is only for commercial/agricultural operations such as farms, ranches, nurseries and greenhouse growers, in addition to pesticide dealers, licensed pest control operators, golf course operators, landscape professionals, state and city agencies, and other commercial end users.
Household pesticides will not be accepted.
The PDP is a statewide project with the first collection event on Oahu scheduled for 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sept. 30. The deadline to register is 4:30 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 8. The drop-off location will be provided to registered participants.
Visit the Pesticide Disposal Program website to fill out a registration form, view a list of acceptable and unacceptable pesticides, safety tips on transporting pesticides, the PDP collection schedule, and frequently asked questions.
“Pesticide disposal has been a serious problem for many farmers, ranchers and many companies that use pesticides in Hawaii,” said Sharon Hurd, chairperson of the Hawaii Board of Agriculture, in the release. “This program is a great opportunity for commercial operations to properly and safety dispose of old and unwanted pesticides which may be a risk to human health and the environment.”
Contact EnviroServices & Training Center for questions about the program and registration assistance at 808-456-3494 or by emailing wm@gotoetc.com. Collection dates for the neighbor islands will be announced at a later date.
Sarah Yamanaka covers events, environmental and community news for Spectrum News Hawaii. She can be reached at sarah.yamanaka@charter.com.
