Pesticide policy

In September 2008, we made a groundbreaking commitment to stop selling synthetic pesticides for cosmetic use in all our stores across Canada as of July 1, 2009.

Because we believe that protecting the environment and the health of Canadian citizens must be viewed in a holistic manner, banning those pesticides seemed like the right thing to do. Today, we are convinced it was.

DOs and DON’Ts

While it is good to ban pesticides, we understand that our customers still need a way to deal with pests on their lawn and in the garden. When we adopted our pesticide policy, we thus committed ourselves to give both customers and our staff the tools needed to safely and positively abandon cosmetic pesticides. Today, customers can rely on our garden department staff to give them information about environmentally-friendly practices thanks to our tailor-made sustainability training program. And like with all our eco-responsible initiatives, it was never a question of simply banning synthetic pesticides for cosmetic use, but a challenge to increase awareness about their impacts and a quest to provide customers with even better alternatives. So when discussing with an in-store advisor or looking through our website for gardening tips, you can learn more on the basic DOs and DON’Ts of responsible behaviour in the garden:

  • DO favour eco-responsible products and DON’T use synthetic pesticides for cosmetic purposes.
  • DO use cultural practices that enhance plants’ ability to resist pest and DON’T plant species that are especially prone to diseases.
  • DO use gardening products, whether pesticides or others, in a rational manner and DON’T overdose “just in case”.

Clever alternatives

Aside from raising awareness about the impact of pesticides, we are continuously increasing our range of eco-responsible gardening products. Whether it is the RONA ECO brand or specially identified eco-responsible products, you now have a wealth of alternatives to traditional pesticides. Those low-impact products are made of natural compounds, thus minimizing health and environmental risks while providing you with the same efficacy as traditional products. With synthetic pesticides for cosmetic use now banned from all RONA stores in Canada, we are definitely talking real sustainability, not cosmetics!