SPRINGFIELD - The Illinois Department of Agriculture is again offering farmers a free pesticide container recycling program this summer.

Sites throughout the state will collect the containers starting in late July. The used containers will be ground into chips and turned into shipping pallets, fence posts and other products.

Agriculture Director Bob Flider says more than 2 million agrichemical containers have been collected since the program began. These containers would
otherwise go into landfills.

Collection sites accept only high-density polyethylene, No. 2 plastic, agrichemical containers that are clean and dry. Participants must remove all caps, labels, booklets and foil seals.

More information, including the collection site schedule, is available at the Illinois Department of Agriculture's website.