Are jugs of leftover pesticides or herbicides filling up your machine shop shelves? There is a way to free your space and safely dispose of farm chemicals through the Missouri Department of Natural Resources Pesticide Collection Program, and it won't cost you a cent.

Starting next month, the Missouri DNR will offer an opportunity for safe, free disposal of unwanted or unusable pesticides for Missouri farmers and households. Just bring your pesticide to one of six locations during the 2017 collection events. An approved hazardous waste contractor will take your agriculture chemicals and send them to a permitted hazardous waste incineration facility for proper disposal.

What is accepted?
Here is a list of what farmers can bring to recycle to each event:

• fungicides
• herbicides
• insecticides
• pesticides
• rodenticides
• fertilizers containing herbicides or pesticides
• de-wormers and fly-tags

What is not accepted?
While the collection event takes in a number of chemicals, it does not allow a few items; farmers should leave these at home, or find another recycling or disposal method. Here is a list of what the Missouri DNR will not accept at each event:

• paint
• explosives
• fire extinguishers
• smoke detectors
• cylinders
• asbestos
• trash
• yard waste
• electronics
• pesticides from businesses, pesticide production facilities, pesticide distributors or pesticide retailers

According to the department, all pesticides collected during the event are characterized, sampled (if unknown), segregated and placed into proper shipping containers with approved labels and markings. The waste is transported off-site by an approved hazardous waste contractor to a permitted hazardous waste incineration facility for disposal. However, non-pesticide waste brought to the event will be rejected and sent back with the participant.

If you have other non-pesticide household hazardous waste, such as oil based paint or brake cleaner, to dispose of, contact your local Solid Waste Management District for possible disposal options.

Where to recycle?
In 2016, the Missouri DNR collected close to 65,000 pounds of farm chemicals. In all, from 2012 to 2016, the Missouri Pesticide Collection Program conducted 32 events, collecting more than 252,800 pounds of waste pesticide from 924 participants. Here are the dates, times and locations of the 2017 Missouri DNR Collection events:

• March 11, 8 a.m.-noon, University of Missouri Fisher Delta Research Center, 147 W. State Highway T, Portageville
• March 25, 8 a.m.-noon, University of Missouri Graves-Chapple Research Center, 29955 Outer Road, Fairfax
• June 3, 8 a.m.-noon, University of Missouri Extension Center St. Charles County, 260 Brown Road, St. Peters
• June 24, 8 a.m.-noon, DeWitt Auction Co., 220 DeWitt Drive, Sikeston
• July 15, 8 a.m.-noon, Litton Ag Center, 10780 Liv 235, Chillicothe
• Oct. 14, 8 a.m.-noon, S & H Farm Supply, 7 State Road A, Lockwood