Storage.com
Clear the clutter. Keep what matters.
Compare U.S. storage units for the furniture and seasonal gear you want to keep after a cleanout.
Compare nearby storage unitsHazardous recycling
How to Recycle Pesticides
Insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, rodenticides, and weed-and-feed products. Regulated under federal pesticide law, where the product label carries binding legal force.
Special handlingLast reviewed August 28, 2026
Quick answer
Follow the disposal directions on this product's label. Those directions govern the product. Keep a partly full product in its original container and use a local household hazardous-waste or pesticide-collection option when the label or local agency directs it. Never pour pesticide into a drain, septic system, soil, or storm drain, and never reuse the container. Before you go, confirm that a local recycling center accepts the material in its current condition.
- Recycling route
- Special handling
How to Prepare
- 1Read the label's storage and disposal section first, since it is legally binding under federal pesticide law
- 2Keep the product in its original container, because the label is what identifies it at a collection site
- 3Never combine two products, even similar ones, in one container
- 4Buy and mix only what you will use, since leftover concentrate is the whole disposal problem
- 5Use up product according to label directions where that is still appropriate
- 6For a partly full product, use the local household hazardous-waste or pesticide collection route the label or local agency directs
- 7Never reuse an empty pesticide container for storage, watering, or anything else
- 8Never pour pesticide down a drain, into a septic system, onto soil, or into a storm drain
- 9Store away from heat, out of reach of children and pets, and away from food
Where to Recycle
- Household hazardous waste facilities
- Municipal and county collection events
- Dedicated pesticide collection programs, which some states run for legacy products
- Cooperative extension offices, for identification and guidance
Special Instructions
Under federal pesticide law the label is the enforceable instruction, and EPA states this directly. That includes the storage and disposal section, which differs by product and is more specific than any general guidance. The triple-rinse procedure people repeat is an agricultural practice tied to on-farm disposal rules for commercial containers, and it does not apply to household products; EPA's consumer guidance is the opposite, telling you never to reuse an empty pesticide container. And household pesticides sit in an awkward regulatory spot: they fall under the household waste exclusion, so federal hazardous waste rules do not apply to them, while state and local requirements often do, which is why the answer depends on where you live. Old sheds and garages sometimes turn up long-banned products such as DDT or chlordane; those are collection-event material and should not be opened, decanted, or moved unnecessarily.
Environmental Impact
Pesticides are designed to be biologically active, which is exactly why misplacing them matters. Poured down a drain they pass through systems not built to remove them; poured on soil or into a storm drain they reach groundwater and surface water directly, since stormwater is generally not treated before it reaches a water body. Buying the smallest effective quantity is the intervention with the largest effect, because the disposal problem is almost entirely leftover concentrate rather than applied product.
Official guidance and resources
Accepted items and drop-off rules can vary by location. Check the destination before you go.
What’s Accepted
Not Accepted
- Pesticide containers in curbside recycling unless your local program explicitly accepts them
- Empty pesticide containers reused for another purpose
- Pesticides poured into a drain, septic system, or storm drain
- Mixed or decanted products in unlabeled containers
- Commercial and agricultural quantities at household collection sites
Hazardous Components
- Organophosphate and carbamate insecticides, which act on the nervous system
- Herbicide active ingredients including glyphosate and pyridine carboxylic acids
- Anticoagulant rodenticides, which are acutely dangerous to pets and wildlife
- Legacy organochlorines such as DDT and chlordane in pre-1980s products
- Petroleum solvent carriers, which make many concentrates flammable
FAQs
How do I dispose of old pesticides?
Read the product label first, keep the pesticide in its original container, and use the local household hazardous-waste or pesticide collection route the label or agency directs. Never pour it down a drain, onto soil, or into a storm drain.
Can I recycle an empty pesticide container?
Only when your local program explicitly accepts that container. Do not reuse it, decant it, or put a partly full container in recycling. Commercial and agricultural containers may follow different rules from household products.
Can I mix two old pesticides together?
No. Keep products separate and labeled. Mixing can create a reaction and can make a collection site unable to identify or manage the material.
Related recycling guides
Recycle pesticides
Search recycling centers by city or ZIP, or explore more hazardous materials.