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how to safely dispose of garden chemicals

jo.cumming9ny4dQ39jo.cumming9ny4dQ39 Posts: 3
in Problem solving
I'm sure I'm not alone in having moved from using pesticides and herbicides to growing without them. I last used these around 7 years ago and now have 5l Roundup, slug bait, grass grower with a herbicides etc.  Not a massive amount but I certainly don't want to pour it down the drain into our septic tank or dig a hole and bury it. I've tried SEPA, 2 local councils, commerical refuse collection companies and Garden Organic. No-one has a suggestion as to what to do with them. The guy at our Highland Council recycling said to bring the Roundup and he would use it!! Which rather defeats the wish to save our pollinators by not using these chemicals.  Across the country I'm sure there must be many garden sheds with old pesticides and herbicides lingering on the shelves. Does anyone know of where we can dispose of them in a safe environmentally sound way?  Maybe we need a government initiative and amnesty. But before the powers that be offer that, they need to have thought through how they will dispose of them without contaminating the environment.

Posts

  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    Your local dump/recycling centre should have a collecting point for these as well as oils, paint and so on.  Just ask the staff next time you go.
    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
  • JennyJJennyJ Posts: 10,576
    Not all councils have facilities at the recycling centres. Our council say they do collections of hazardous waste, but it sounds like it's a pain in the bum to organise . We can't take them to the recycling centre here, but over the border in North Lincs, the recycling centres take household and garden chemicals. Maybe try this site https://gardenchemicaldisposal.co.uk/search/ and see what it comes up with for your area.

    Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
  • jo.cumming9ny4dQ39jo.cumming9ny4dQ39 Posts: 3
    Thanks, had a look, useful site, just nothing in our or the surrounding council areas. 
  • Blue OnionBlue Onion Posts: 2,995
    Kitty litter is pretty good for some things.  We inherited a large number of gallons of paint with our house.  I recently followed our state guidelines for disposal by filling the half used gallons with kitty litter stirred around to mix, and left them for a month in the garage to dry out before putting into the general waste.  

    I think since you've tried all other solutions to get rid of it properly, I would spread kitty litter on some old plastic (compost bags, etc) in the garage or other covered space and dump the Round up on that to evaporate and dry out completely.  Sawdust is another option, as kitty litter isn't great stuff either.  Once it's dry, it's fairly inert and unlikely to cause damage to the environment.  I would double bag the material and put it in the general landfill garbage.

    Not sure what to do with the others, but I admire your sense of responsibility for proper disposal.   
    Utah, USA.
  • jo.cumming9ny4dQ39jo.cumming9ny4dQ39 Posts: 3
    Thank you for the suggestion. I can see that would work for the Roundup.  In the meantime I've contacted my MSP to explain the problem and ask that we can have something for all garden chemicals across Scotland.
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