The agricultural sector is the predominant user, using pesticides in the growing of crops which, in turn, can make their way back to consumers as a mix of residues on produce, pesticide drift if living in rural areas and through contaminated water sources.
Pesticides are also used by councils and different private land management organisations such as housing estates to clear roads, pavements, playgrounds and other urban spaces of ‘weeds’. You can view our Pesticide-Free Towns campaign to read about the work we’ve done to help councils and local campaigners phase-out the use of pesticides.
Finally, pesticides are still widely available in various UK supermarkets, garden centres and DIY chains for use at home. However, certain major retailers have taken steps to remove these products from their shelves. Read more about our supermarkets campaign here.