skip to main content skip to main navigation
Photo of pesticide containers for recycling - Click to enlarge
For Immediate Release: March 15, 2011
Contact: Lynne Richmond
(609) 633-2954

(TRENTON) – Last year, more than 80,000 plastic pesticide containers were recycled through the New Jersey Department of Agriculture’s Plastic Pesticide Container Recycling Program.

That program will continue in 2012 starting Thursday, April 5 with 21 collection days April through November in Hammonton, Atlantic County, Deerfield, Cumberland County and Woodstown, Salem County.

“Recyling these plastic containers is an environmentally sound practice, keeping them out of our state’s landfills,” said New Jersey Secretary of Agriculture Douglas H. Fisher.  “We encourage pesticide applicators and businesses to participate in the free program."

Launched in 2002, the program -- a cooperative effort between the Department, the Atlantic County Utilities Authority, Helena Chemical, Cumberland County Improvement Authority, Salem County Improvement Authority, and the Salem County Board of Agriculture -- collects plastic pesticide containers from all categories of New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection-licensed pesticide applicators and custom application businesses.

To date, more than 287,000 pounds of HDPE plastic pesticide containers have been kept out of the landfills.  Among the uses for the recycled plastic are plastic pesticide containers, industrial pallets, hazardous waste drums, speed bumps, parking stops, dock and sea wall pilings and agricultural drain pipe.

All three collection site also will be accepting clean cardboard since the pesticide containers are distributed in cardboard boxes.

To view the 2012 collection schedule, visit www.nj.gov/agriculture/divisions/md/prog/pesticidecontsched.html.

To learn more about the Department of Agriculture’s recycling programs, go to www.nj.gov/agriculture/divisions/md/prog/recycling.html

For further information, contact Karen Kritz at 609-984-2506 or Karen.kritz@ag.state.nj.us.