Proper Disposal of Garden Chemicals

Lawn pesticides and weed killers

Responsible Use of Lawn Chemicals

Choosing to use lawn and garden chemicals brings a responsibility to handle, store, use and dispose of these products properly, so as not to create risk or endangerment to our children and families, or the environment in which we live. There are a few simple things to keep in mind whenever we want to use these products, and this article will cover these concepts.

Excess Garden Chemicals

If you cannot use all the lawn and garden chemicals purchased, consider giving them to a neighbour or a friend, or if you don't want to give them away completely, offer your neighbour to use some of them while you've got them, and before they expire.

Alternatively, offer to spray the lawns of your parents, in-laws, neighbours or the lawns of the elderly couple down the road.

Never Flush Chemicals Into Water Systems

Never flush chemicals into drains, sinks, toilets or any other public waste water disposal system - their high toxicity makes them extremely dangerous.

Out of Date Chemicals

From our safe and responsible use and storage of lawn and garden chemicals, we should also always be aware of and monitor the use by dates of all chemicals.

Once chemicals have past their use by date, they may not only become useless for their intended purpose, but may also become far more toxic to our lawns and gardens.

Once chemicals are approaching their use by date, the homeowner must make a plan to either use them as quickly as possible, or to dispose of them.

Disposal of Out Of Date Chemicals

We cannot provide specific disposal instructions for chemicals - only generalised guidelines:

• Read and follow the disposal instructions on the product packaging.
• If your chemical requires controlled disposal - contact your local council or shire who may have collection centres, or can otherwise instruct on the correct disposal methods for your region.