Record-breaking haul for CleanSweepNY
Environment. More than 320 tons of chemicals and other hazardous materials were collected across the state in 2025.
| 30 Dec 2025 | 09:19
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Amanda Lefton announced on Dec. 29 that 2025 was another record-breaking year for the CleanSweepNY program. More than 645,500 pounds of chemicals, including pesticides, paint, oil, flammable and nonflammable liquids, and other hazardous materials, were collected during the year. It is the highest amount in the program’s 23-year history and an overall increase of 9.3% from the previous record collection year.
CleanSweepNY helps promote a healthy and sustainability in the state by providing opportunities for proper disposal of unwanted and/or obsolete pesticides, such as herbicides, insecticides, fungicides, disinfectants, and sanitizers, as well as fertilizers, paint, primers, and more. These services are provided without cost to farmers, licensed pesticide applicators, municipalities, city and county agencies, colleges, pesticide businesses, and garden centers.
The program was established by DEC in 2002 to promote proper waste separation and disposal practices of these potentially harmful chemicals, which may otherwise have been disposed of in inappropriate ways. It was designed to reduce the potential for negative impacts to human health or the environment.
“Programs like DEC’s CleanSweepNY continue to help discard unwanted or expired chemicals and pesticides while protecting public health and the environment,” Lefton said. “Thanks to the continued support from Gov. Hochul and investments from the Environmental Protection Fund, 2025 was another record-setting year for the CleanSweepNY program, with 343 participants disposing of more than 645,000 pounds of chemicals and helping support a toxic-free future for New York State.”
During CleanSweepNY events throughout the year, DEC collected:
* 194,001 linear feet (36.7 miles) of light bulbs
* 3,164 aerosol containers
* 1251,027 pounds of pesticides
* 168,142 pounds of paint
* 105,136 pounds of paint diverted to PaintCare for recycling
* 28,430 pounds of motor oil
* 117,587 pounds of flammable liquids (hand sanitizers, gasoline, etc.)
* 73,717 pounds of nonflammable liquids (antifreeze, etc.)
For more information about CleanSweepNY or to request a registration form for a future collection, log onto https://shorturl.at/ujNwq, email cleansweep@dec.ny.gov, or call 518-225-8146.