Throwing it all away at the collection location is one of the safest options.
Are there any unused or expired prescription drugs in your medicine cabinet that need to be thrown away? Think twice before flushing out those old painkillers or birth control pills. Although this seems to be a safe option, it may directly affect wildlife. "Pouring medicines into sewers or toilets will cause the medicines to seep into the groundwater and negatively affect the fish and animal populations in the aquatic ecosystem," said Tim Carroll, a spokesperson for the Environmental Protection Agency.
According to the regulations of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), if there are no disposal instructions on the prescription drug label and your community does not have a drug recycling program, you can follow the steps below to throw them in the household trash can. There are several important steps. First, remove the medicine from the container and mix it with another substance, such as used coffee grounds or cat litter. Next, put the mixture in a sealable bag or other type of container to ensure that the medicine does not leak or fall out of the garbage bag. Although these steps do make the process safer, it’s not always the best way to throw medicines in the trash, Carol said: “Modern landfills are designed to collect the liquid that is discharged from the trash. Generally, chemical Matter will enter rivers, lakes and reservoirs."
Related: Can you take the medicine after the expiration date?
Instead, discard excess drugs at the DEA authorized "drug recycling" collection point. These locations are designed to safely collect unused or expired medications and safely dispose of them. The collection location may vary depending on where you live, so so will your research. Authorized locations can include retail stores, hospitals, pharmacies, or law enforcement agencies. These can also provide on-site drug delivery boxes, return mailing plans, or home disposal methods that can help you deal with your unused or expired drugs. To find one, visit dea.gov or ask your pharmacist and make sure to scrape or cover up the personal information on the prescription label. You can also go to Google Maps External Link Disclaimer and enter "drug disposal near me" or "drug disposal near me" to find the drug disposal site closest to you.
DEA also holds several national prescription drug recall days each year. The goal of the event is to provide "a safe, convenient and responsible way of handling prescription drugs, while also educating the public about the possibility of drug abuse." The 20th event was held in April 2021 and included a total of 5,060 collection points and 839,543 pounds (420 tons) of unused and expired drugs collected that day. To participate in these events, visit dea.gov for more information.