Gavin Malcolm, a former farmer who now lives in Wakefield near Nelson, had a stockpile of chemicals from his farming days that he wanted to get rid of.
He had to pay for Agrecovery to come and collect them from him, but it was worth it, he says.
‘It was good timing that they were in the region when I was doing a big clean-out as I didn’t really have another option for getting rid of them.
‘It was a pretty simple process, I let Agrecovery know the details of what chemicals I had then they worked out the charges and came out to my place to collect them.
‘Throughout the process they were really good at keeping me informed about what was happening, and after having had those chemicals around for a long time, it was great to see the back of them.’
Debbie Sherwood says it’s important that agrichemical users know that they don’t have to go ahead with disposal for all the chemicals that they book through Agrecovery.
‘Once we’ve received the inventory and worked out what is free and what subsidies apply, users can make a decision on any remaining chemicals that do have fees for disposal.
‘Most people feel the cost for those not covered by subsidies is a small price to pay for a safe, sustainable disposal option.
‘The best thing is to simply contact us and let us know what chemicals they have so we can classify them and ascertain whether fees apply or not – it’s that simple.
‘Once we know if they want to go ahead or not we can then organise how the chemicals will be collected – either at an event or from them directly.
‘Encouraging farmers, growers and other agrichemical users to take advantage of the service and any subsidies while they’re available means we are making a dent in any stock piles in the country and fulfilling our obligation to the next generation,’ says Debbie.
Collection events around the country are based on bookings received, so if you have unwanted or expired agrichemicals, don’t leave them lying about – get in touch today. You can book by freephone 0800 247 326 or online at agrecovery.co.nz.
For non-commercial chemicals such as household or garden chemicals you may wish to contact your local council as these are not subsidised through the Agrecovery Chemicals programme.