The pile of discarded batteries behind Jim Chernick’s farm shop was getting higher every year.
On Dec. 2, he loaded 24 of them into his sagging truck and hauled them to a hazardous waste collection day in Rouleau, Sask., hosted by the Moose Jaw Watershed Stewards.
“I’ve been looking forward to getting rid of them,” said Chernick, who called it a beneficial service for farmers that should occur every other year.
The watershed stewards organized the event that collected lead acid batteries, propane cylinders, agricultural chemicals and fluorescent light tubes at the Redburn rural municipality shop.
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Chad MacPherson, the group’s stewardship co-ordinator, said he was pleased with the turnout for the collection day, one of the first held in rural Saskatchewan.
“The people who came out brought a lot of material,” he said.
His group, which received funding from the Saskatchewan Watershed Authority, will seek funds to host another day in future to encourage the proper and safe disposal of hazardous waste.
“If it’s something of no value, it’s just a nuisance and a risk,” he said.
The stewardship group, which works with local water users and 22 rural municipalities to protect ground and surface water, supports environmental farm planning.
Pesticides, the main waste collected in Rouleau, are toxic and should be kept away from landfills and water sources. Envirotec handled the waste, transporting it to a facility for recycling and disposal.
Sarcan, a recycling agency, also offers safe disposal sites for paints and stains at its Saskatchewan locations.
