Mid Canterbury farmers and growers are being urged to make use of a subsidised programme to return their unwanted or expired agrichemicals.

Throughout June, Agrecovery will be running several chemical recovery events in the Canterbury region. With free or subsidised recovery and disposal of more than 3000 products, the programme provides the perfect opportunity to safely dispose of potentially dangerous chemicals.

Agrecovery Chief Executive Tony Wilson said the agrichemical recovery programme was a crucial part of the work Agrecovery did to ensure the safety of the environment and the future of the agriculture and horticulture industries.

“These are chemicals that could pose a safety risk by being left in sheds,” Mr Wilson said. "Recovering old legacy or unwanted chemicals ensures they don’t end up in landfills or in our waterways. We want to see farmers and growers book safe disposal to alleviate any potential safety risk.”

These collections events follow on from extremely successful events held in Canterbury in 2020 where nearly 6000 kg of agrichemicals were recovered and safely disposed of. Ashburton District Council is partnering with Agrecovery to support the programme, alongside Environment Canterbury, and Hurunui, Mackenzie, Selwyn, Timaru, Waimakariri, Waimate and Waitaki District Councils.

“As a not-for-profit charitable trust, Agrecovery fully appreciates the commitment and support from ECan, the local district councils, and the brands who are part of the Agrecovery scheme, in order to run these events,” Mr Wilson said.

“It’s fantastic to be able to work in partnership to provide a safe and sustainable solution to resource recovery and enable better environmental outcomes for our rural communities.”

Environment Canterbury Director of Science, Dr Tim Davie, said waste disposal can be particularly challenging for rural communities who want to do the right thing, but perhaps don’t have the level of services that those in urban areas enjoy.

“Our partnership with Agrecovery has been built on that philosophy – that we understand those challenges. These recovery events are a perfect example of some of the solutions being provided.”

Bookings for the June Canterbury events are essential. Farmers, growers, and contractors can log their unwanted and expired chemicals for collection with Agrecovery by registering at agrecovery.co.nz or calling 0800 247 326.

Bookings close 27 May 2022.