The South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources is again offering pesticide container recycling services across the state. The list of 2025 dates and locations is available now with the first collection events on July 7 in Miller and July 8 in Watertown. The recycling roadshow concludes on September 11 with events in Rapid City and Wall. The South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources offers the pesticide container recycling services at no cost.
Container Preparation
Containers accepted for recycling:
- Must be triple rinsed or pressure rinsed as allowed by the pesticide label.
- High-density polyethylene plastic or steel.
- 55 gallons or less.
- Contain no visible pesticide residue inside or outside the container.
- Contain no more than 0.5 fluid ounces of clear water.
- Labels and caps must be removed.
- Be sure to follow the label (if possible) for any additional preparation steps to take when disposing of the used container.
Containers collected on site are ground up and sent to a facility which utilizes the plastic to make other agricultural products, such as fence posts. Container recycling not only cleans up pesticide storage areas, but also keeps the plastic out of municipal landfills. Remember, in South Dakota it is illegal to burn pesticide containers.
If you are unable to make it to one of the scheduled dates, you may contact Jim at Missouri Valley Recycling Center in Vermillion at (605) 677-7076 or Spike King at the South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources at (605) 773-3153 during regular business hours to make arrangements.
Additional Resources
- Container Recycling & Waste Pesticide Collection, South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources.
- Managing Waste Pesticides: Restricted Use Pesticides, SDSU Extension.
- What to Do With Unusable Home and Garden Pesticides, SDSU Extension.
