Each year, Americans use over 59 million pounds of home and garden pesticides , which can be difficult to dispose of properly. When poured down the train or tossed in the trash, hazardous chemicals in these products can threaten wildlife and our drinking water. After paint, pesticides are the most expensive Household Hazardous Waste product for governments to manage. Although most states run pesticide disposal programs, many operate intermittently, do not have dedicated funding, and lack the resources for sustained public outreach.

How can we properly dispose of pesticides and protect the environment? Extended producer responsibility. Although the United States does not yet have pesticide EPR, programs have been operating successfully in Canada since the 1990s.

In 2017, PSI developed the Pesticides Stewardship Briefing Document, which laid out a framework to help governments and other stakeholders pursue solutions for the safe management of household and agricultural pesticides. We have conducted nationwide research to fill important data gaps on pesticide management and worked closely with our members in Oregon and Vermont to support the introduction of pesticide EPR legislation. In 2019, we published the report: How-To Guide for Advancing Pesticides Stewardship.

What can you do? Tell your representatives that you support pesticides EPR legislation. Then, learn where to safely dispose of pesticides in your community.

If you’re a PSI Member or Partner, search our Resource Library for in-depth information on pesticide stewardship in the United States and around the world and our Legislation Library for a history of pesticide EPR bills and laws in the U.S.