The mission of the Missouri Pesticide Collection Program is to help protect human health and the environment by collecting and ensuring safe disposal of waste pesticides from Missouri farmers and households, while educating Missouri citizens about how to properly manage and reduce pesticide waste.

The Missouri Pesticide Collection Program is a non-regulatory, consumer services program that is part of the department's Waste Management Program. The program began in 2012, as a way to provide Missouri farmers and households with a convenient, free opportunity to properly dispose unwanted waste pesticides. Since 2012, the Missouri Pesticide Collection Program has conducted 68 events and collected over 890,000 pounds of waste pesticide from 2,196 participants.

Who can participate in the program?

  • Missouri farmers
  • Missouri households

All pesticides collected during the event are categorized, sampled (if unknown), separated and placed into proper Department of Transportation shipping containers with approved labels and markings. The waste is transported off site by a licensed hazardous waste contractor to a permitted hazardous waste incineration facility for disposal.

Collection services are overseen by the department’s Waste Management Program staff. For more information or questions about the Missouri Pesticide Collection Program, please contact the department's Waste Management Program, by telephone at 800-361-4827 or 573-751-5401, or by email at pesticidecollectionregistration@dnr.mo.gov. Hearing and speech-impaired individuals may reach us through Relay Missouri at 800-735-2966.

Upcoming Events

Past Events

Year Sort ascending Location Number of Participants Total Pounds
2023 Jamestown 23 7,754
2023 Brookfield 16 12,393
2023 Crane 22 2,569
2023 Troy 33 13,700
2022 Portageville 35 96,766
2022 Appleton City 31 8,839
2022 Washington 77 12,983
2022 Farmington 24 7,162
2022 Chillicothe 47 15,441
2022 Versailles 32 15,859
2021 Kennett 25 73,954
2021 Lockwood 33 12,757
2021 Lincoln 20 2,293
2021 Salisbury 26 5,495
2021 Kahoka 13 5,217
2021 Marthasville 82 12,419
2020 Kirksville 41 13,137
2020 Montgomery City 33 13,287
2020 Albany 18 13,864
2020 West Plains 15 2,644
2020 Clinton 42 8,090
2020 Dexter 31 48,429
2019 Columbia 28 5,839
2019 Ste. Genevieve 22 3,142
2019 Carrollton 22 7,764
2019 Mount Vernon 28 6,530
2019 Troy 62 21,960
2019 Portageville 30 55,467
2018 Palmyra 35 6,788
2018 Bethany 19 3,360
2018 Portageville 48 58,846
2018 Jefferson City 46 6,876
2018 Nevada 46 12,034
2018 Perryville 37 4,752
2017 Lockwood 54 10,103
2017 Chillicothe 39 13,106
2017 Sikeston 43 25,376
2017 St. Peters 58 6,892
2017 Portageville 22 27,855
2017 Fairfax 8 1,392
2016 Portageville 22 32,659
2016 Poplar Bluff 28 17,674
2016 Fairfax 13 3,389
2016 Canton 31 4,450
2016 Montgomery City 21 4,274
2016 Bolivar 45 2,161

Accepted Waste

What is accepted?

All pesticides from Missouri farmers and households, including, but not limited to:

  • Fungicides
  • Herbicides
  • Insecticides
  • Rodenticides
  • Fertilizers containing pesticides
  • De-wormers and fly-tags

Please call before bringing bulk containers of pesticide.

What is NOT accepted?

  • Pesticides from businesses, pesticide production facilities, pesticide distributors or pesticide retailers
  • Non-pesticide waste, including, but not limited to:

Non-pesticide waste brought to the event will be rejected and sent back with the participant. For disposal information about non-pesticide household hazardous waste, such as paint and cleaning products, visit Household Hazardous Waste

Empty Container Management

Pesticide applicators generally have questions about what to do with empty pesticide containers. Pesticide dealers will often take back large, empty, bulk-refillable containers, but smaller, empty containers are usually left for the consumer to address. Empty containers that have been triple rinsed can be disposed in a sanitary landfill, recycled or dispose by other methods allowed by the state. For more information regarding managing pesticide containers, review Pesticide Container Management - PUB2727.

*Under no circumstances should pesticide containers be burned. Missouri law prohibits the burning of pesticide containers, even on your own property. Pesticide containers can release highly toxic fumes and harmful residue when burned, even if the container has been properly rinsed.

Triple Rinsing

Most labels state to triple rinse your empty containers and pour the rinse water into your sprayer tank for future application. For a step-by-step guide to triple rinsing containers, review the How to Perform the Manual Triple Rinse video. For information on managing pesticide rinsate, review Pesticide Rinsate Management – PUB2870.

Container Recycling

Recycling pesticide containers is the preferred option. Nearly all plastic pesticide containers can be recycled. Ag Container Recycling Council (ACRC) is an industry-funded, not-for-profit organization that safely collects and recycles agricultural crop protection, animal health and specialty pest control product containers (jugs and drums) throughout the United States. Contractors hired by ACRC carry out the actual container collection and processing. Currently, G. Phillips and Sons LLC is the contractor for the ACRC in Missouri. If you have 1,500 pounds or more of rinsed jugs/ drums, G. Phillips and Sons LLC can pick them up free of charge at your farm or business.   

If you are a crop grower or applicator and have less than 1,500 pounds of pesticide containers to dispose at any one time, contact your local ag dealer. Also, your pesticide supplier or local agriculture supply store may participate in ACRC's recycling program, providing a place to drop off small amounts of pesticide containers. 

If you have any questions about how the G. Phillips and Sons LLC - ACRC Recycling Program works, or if you are a pesticide dealer/ applicator or other business interested in setting up a container collection drop off at your site, please contact G. Phillips and Sons LLC by telephone at 678-232-6047. 

For recycling larger plastic pesticide containers, visit The Pesticide Stewardship Alliance website to find contact information for recycling companies in Missouri.

Container Disposal

Empty pesticide containers may be disposed as regular solid waste in the trash, provided they were triple-rinsed first. After triple rinsing, the cap should be removed and a slit cut into the container. This allows the collection/ disposal company to easily verify the container is empty and also prevents container re-use. 

Resources