Home Depot Canada will phase out pesticides

Home Depot Canada has announced it will voluntarily stop selling pesticides and herbicides in its stores across Canada by the end of this year.

Product categories currently affected by Home Depot's voluntary phase-out include herbicides, insecticides, fungicides, slug baits, moss control products and lawn fertilizers with weed control. A total of 60 products will be affected.

In Canada, there currently are more than 55 municipalities where the residential use, but not sale, of pesticides is banned. In Quebec, Home Depot stores already don’t sell pesticides.

"Like our customers, we are concerned about the environment," said Annette Verschuren, president of Home Depot Canada and Asia, in a statement. "We are going above and beyond government regulations by working with our suppliers to develop pesticide alternatives that are environmentally friendly and produce excellent results on lawns and gardens."

The pesticides will be phased out of Home Depot stores across Canada starting this week. By June 2008, The Home Depot anticipates that 62 of its 166 stores in the country will no longer sell pesticides, with all 166 stores offering additional “environmentally preferred” replacement products by the end of 2008.

"Our stores will prominently feature green pesticide alternatives, in addition to our current Eco Options products,” Verschuren added, “and our trained associates will continue to provide customers with product information and tips, as well as online support.”