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Medication Disposal

A prescription for proper disposal of medicines.

Wastewater treatment plants are designed to treat the water that goes down toilets and sinks. But a treatment plant will not remove medication from wastewater.

When medications are poured down the sink or flushed down the toilet, they can contaminate the environment when the treated wastewater is discharged back into our waterways.

Medication take-back programs offered at local pharmacies or drugstores are the ideal way to dispose of unwanted medication.
Crush solid medications or dissolve them in water and mix with kitty litter, sawdust, or anything else that will make the drug unavailable or unappealing for a pet or child to eat. This also works with liquid medications.
Store medications in their original container. Being able to quickly identify the medication is helpful in case a child or pet accidentally ingests it.
Mark out all identifying personal information on the prescription label.
Seal the bottle with the lid.
Place the medicine bottle in a non-recyclable container before placing in the trash to help disguise the medicine.