What to do with leftover pesticide-treated seed

Jamison Scholer, MDA Research Scientist. Reviewed by Jolene Warnke, Tana Haugen-Brown, and Sally Raymond, Extension Educators, UMN Pesticide Safety and Environmental Education program

Sample of treated soybean. Photo credit:
Tana Haugen-Brown

Do you have leftover pesticide-treated seed and are not sure what to do with it? The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) has created a helpful fact sheet to guide you through proper disposal, along with relevant state regulations. You can find it here: https://www.pca.state.mn.us/sites/default/files/w-hw4-51.pdf. Although pesticide-treated seed isn’t categorized as a pesticide product, it is still considered industrial solid waste. Leftover pesticide-treated seed must be disposed of properly to minimize contamination of water resources and harm to wildlife.

Planting treated seed on a farm. Photo: AdobeStock

Farmers, retailers, distributors, and manufacturers who generate leftover pesticide-treated seed and its packaging are responsible for its proper disposal. Check with the seed supplier to determine if unopened seed lots qualify for return. For seed that cannot be returned, a good alternative disposal option is to plant it. If planting isn’t an option, you can dispose of waste treated seed at certain Minnesota landfills or waste-to-energy (WTE) incineration facilities. You can find a list of approved Minnesota landfills and WTE facilities here: https://www.pca.state.mn.us/sites/default/files/w-sw6-04.pdf. Contact the facility before taking waste to the site to ensure it has the capacity to accept your pesticide-treated seed.

Improper disposal of treated seed. Photo: Molly
Darlington

Farmers operating on their own land have additional options. Farmers may choose to bury excess treated seed at least 200 feet from private wells, tile drain inlets, and at least 1,000 feet from public water supply wells. To protect wildlife, treated seeds should be buried deep enough to prevent animals from digging them up. Always read and follow annual per-acre use limits on seed bag tags and pesticide product labels when determining where burial can occur. 

Disposable packaging from treated seed, such as bags, is considered a regulated solid waste in Minnesota. Farmers operating on their own land can dispose of treated seed bags with their regular trash. Reusable seed packaging (totes or cartons) can be reused for the same product or rinsed with water and used for a new product. Rinsewater may be applied to crops approved for that seed treatment product(s). Be sure that application of product(s) dissolved in rinsewater will not overload a field with pesticide residue above the annual labeled rate. Rinsewater also may be discharged to publicly owned sewage treatment plants; however, you must notify the plant operator beforehand and follow their rules. For more information or additional technical guidance, contact the MPCA, joshua.burman@state.mn.us.