Arkansas Department of Agriculture collects 447,354 pounds of unwanted pesticides

LITTLE ROCK — The Arkansas Department of Agriculture collected 447,354 pounds of unwanted pesticides across Lee, Monroe, St. Francis, and Woodruff counties during spring 2025 collection events. Since 2005, the Agricultural Abandoned Pesticide Program has overseen the collection and disposal of 6,868,224 pounds of unwanted pesticides across the state.
“The Arkansas Department of Agriculture is proud to work with our partners in administering the Agricultural Abandoned Pesticide Program,” says Arkansas Secretary of Agriculture Wes Ward. “Events like this help ensure safe and proper disposal of unwanted pesticides and prevent them from potentially polluting our environment.”
Participation in collection events is free to farmers and other non-industrial landowners. The program is funded through pesticide registration fees. Pesticide collection events have taken place in every county in the state. Fall 2025 collection dates will be announced at a later date.

Commonly collected items include old or outdated pesticides such as calcium arsenate, sodium cyanide, lindane, chlordane, and 2,4,5-T. Registered pesticides, like glyphosate products and 2,4-D, that are unusable because they have been exposed to the elements or have been held over from previous growing seasons also can be collected.
The Agricultural Abandoned Pesticide Program is conducted in cooperation with the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service, Arkansas Farm Bureau, and the Arkansas Department of Energy and Environment.