impact

Collection program keeps Virginia's soil and water safe from pesticide waste

Virginia Cooperative Extension and the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services help Virginians safely dispose of millions of pounds of expired pesticides.

Christie Culliton

23 Sep 2025

Two individuals wearing black gloves are holding old, rusty, and dirty bottles of liquid pesticide concentrate over a trash can lined with a black plastic bag. — Unidentified pesticides stored in glass bottles were safely collected and disposed of during a recent Virginia Pesticide Collection Program event in Chesapeake. Photo by Christie Culliton for Virginia Tech.

For nearly 30 years, Virginia Cooperative Extension and the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services have partnered on a program that helps Virginians safely dispose of old or unwanted pesticides each year — no questions asked and at no cost.

Since launching in 1997, the Virginia Pesticide Collection Program has gathered more than 1.9 million pounds of unwanted pesticide waste from farms, businesses, and homeowners. The program is offered annually, with Extension agents identifying rotating collection sites around the state to give participants multiple opportunities to drop off materials close to home. In 2025 alone, more than 115,000 pounds of waste were collected.

The service has grown even more vital as Virginia has seen increasingly frequent extreme weather. Storm-driven runoff from farms and yards is sweeping into the Chesapeake Bay watershed. These chemicals seep into the water table, contaminate seafood, and damage the bay’s delicate ecosystems.

A team in white protective suits coordinates the outdoor transport of a wooden crate filled with half full pesticide containers, using a forklift on a gravel surface. — Containers of unwanted pesticides are moved from a collection event in Hanover so the ycan be securely transported for safe disposal. Photo by Christie Culliton for Virginia Tech.

“Producers typically cannot dispose of pesticides through household hazardous waste programs,” said Marlene Larios, the program’s coordinator for the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. “If a major storm – like a hurricane or nor’easter – caused flooding, those unused pesticides could be swept into our soil and waterways. That kind of contamination is difficult to clean up and can have lasting effects on our environment.

Five people under a tent with safety vests on. Table includes paperwork and pens. — (From left) Michael Andruczyk, Roy Flannagan, Robert Christian, Marlene Larios, Nikita Higgins, and Christine Haslam work a collection event in Chesapeake. Photo by Christie Culliton for Virginia Tech.

Extension outreach yields big results

Extension agents support the effort by selecting collection sites and promoting them to the landowners in their region. In Chesapeake this year, the Hampton Roads collection site gathered more than 25,000 pounds of pesticides from the surrounding community – far exceeding expectations.

“While we may not be able to offer incentives, we’re proud to provide this service for free,” said Roy Flanagan, Extension agent in Virginia Beach. “It’s our way of supporting producers and showing appreciation for the essential work they do.”

Flanagan said the program is a great representation of the grass roots and community-focused spirit that defines Virginia Cooperative Extension.

“For this program, our Extension offices in Norfolk, Portsmouth, Chesapeake, and Virginia Beach operate from a shared location, making it easy for producers to participate,” he said. “While Norfolk and Portsmouth may have fewer agricultural producers, our teams actively engage with commercial applicators to ensure high-use groups are informed and able to take advantage of this important program.”

A box full of half empty liquid bottles that held Pesticides, insecticides, fungicides, and herbicides. — Pesticides, insecticides, fungicides, and herbicides — separated by liquid and solid — will be safely disposed of by a Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services partner. Photo by Christie Culliton for Virginia Tech.

Tommy Heath, owner-operator of Norfolk Feed and Seed in Portsmouth, said the program helped him safely dispose of expired chemicals that had been left behind on his property by his late father.

“If there had ever been a fire, first responders would’ve been at risk,” he said. “My local Extension agent, Cyndi Wyskiewicz, always gives me plenty of notice so I can plan. One year, I even partnered with an industry friend, and we carpooled down with a full truckload of materials for disposal.”

Why proper pesticide disposal matters

Modeled after Pennsylvania’s CHEMSWEEP program, Virginia’s program services everyone from pest control companies to agricultural producers to golf courses. It even helps clear out old chemicals left behind on properties that have since changed hands.

A gloved hand holds a silver canister labeled Nicotine Fumigant above a black trash bag containing similar canisters. — Nicotine fumigant, once popular, was one of many unwanted pesticides collected this year. Photo by Christie Culliton for Virginia Tech.

Funded by pesticide registration, applicator, and license fees rather than tax dollars, the program protects both public health and the environment, preventing millions of pounds of chemicals from contaminating Virginia’s land and water. Extension also partners with the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services on a recycling program for properly cleaned plastic pesticide containers. The recycled plastic is turned into products such as pallets, fence posts, drain tiles, and parking stops.

For more guidance on proper pesticide storage and disposal, see Virginia Cooperative Extension’s publication "Pesticide Storage and Disposal – A Quick Guide for Home Use." For details on the pesticide collection program, visit the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ Pesticide Collection Program site.