New York event collects 222,526 pounds of chemicals for safe disposal

CleanSweepNY provides opportunities for the proper disposal of unwanted or obsolete pesticides and other chemicals.

hazardous waste

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The New York State Department of Environmental Conversation (DEC) has announced the results of the recent CleanSweepNY collection events in DEC’s Region 3, lower Hudson Valley.

Held during the week of May 12, the annual event collected more than 222,000 pounds of chemicals for safe disposal from 179 participants.

“Effective collection programs like DEC’s CleanSweepNY make it easy for New Yorkers to discard of unwanted or expired chemicals and pesticides,” DEC Commissioner Amanda Lefton says. “CleanSweepNY helps people get rid of these toxic materials in a safe and environmentally responsible way. This year, DEC set a record, with 179 farmers, businesses and institutions in the lower Hudson Valley participating in CleanSweepNY, disposing of 222,526 pounds of chemicals to help build a toxic-free future for New York State.” 

CleanSweepNY provides opportunities for the proper disposal of unwanted or obsolete pesticides and other chemicals. In 2025, DEC held collection events in Kingston, Fishkill, Middletown and Valhalla, New York. Participants from counties in DEC’s Region 3 were encouraged to dispose of materials at one of the four sites. 

The event resulted in the collection of 222,526 pounds of chemical waste, specifically 108,671 pounds of pesticides and 63,175 pounds of paint. Also collected were 199 mercury-containing devices and 73,849 feet of fluorescent tube lighting.

On-site pickups were provided to four farms and a golf course. On-site pickups are provided when chemicals are unsafe to transport to a collection site due to the poor condition of their containers, hazards posed when handling and transporting certain chemicals or large volumes of chemical waste. 

DEC administers, schedules and organizes CleanSweepNY program events in collaboration with the New York State Department of Transportation (DOT), which hosts multiple collection sites.

“The state Department of Transportation is committed to protecting the environment and to safeguarding our air, water and climate for future generations,” New York Department of Transportation Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez says. “We are proud to have worked with our CleanSweepNY partners to help keep these unwanted chemical wastes from polluting our environment and endangering the health and safety of New Yorkers.”

CleanSweepNY services are available to agricultural and nonagricultural professional pesticide applicators, schools and certain businesses which use pesticides such as golf courses, cemeteries and marinas. Homeowners cannot participate.