Prevention
Do you have unwanted or expired medication in your home?
For years, residents have been told to flush old medications down the toilet or sink. This is not a good idea.
New research has found medications, hormones and other personal care products in rivers and streams around the country. These substances can adversely affect fish and wildlife. Wastewater treatment plants were not designed to remove these substances from wastewater, so it's important to keep them out of the sewer system. Proper Disposal: It's a No Drainer.
Take it to THE BOX
You can now bring your unwanted and expired medications to year-round drop boxes at these area police departments (started May 2012):
- Duluth Police Department/St. Louis County Sheriff Public Safety Building
- Hermantown Police Department
- Proctor Police Department
THE BOX is located in each lobby and is available weekdays. See the card for more information.
Information on medication disposal in Carlton County: Take it to the Box
In Superior: Medicine Drop Box
Also watch for the next Medicine Cabinet Clean-out events in 2013:
WLSSD Household Hazardous Waste Facility
2626 Courtland Street, Duluth
9 am to 5 pm on these dates:
Friday, July 12, 2013
Friday, October 11, 2013
If you cannot bring medication to a Take it to the Box site or a scheduled collection event, follow these steps for safe disposal of medication in the garbage.
- Keep medication in its original container. Cover over the patient's name with marker or scratch it out.
- Modify medication to discourage scavenging. Add a small amount of liquid to pills. Add charcoal, kitty litter, sawdust or spices to liquid medication. Create an unsightly mixture to discourage consumption.
- Seal container shut with strong tape.
- Place sealed container inside a non-transparent bag or container such as a paper bag. Do not hide medicines in actual food products.
- Discard the container in the garbage can as close to scheduled garbage pick-up as possible.
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| Scratch out the patient's name | Add liquid, sawdust or spices to destroy the product | Seal container with strong tape | Hide it in a non-transparent container or bag | Throw it away as close to trash pick-up as possible |
These guidelines follow the current recommendation by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency.
MPCA Pharmaceutical fact sheet
The WLSSD Household Hazardous Waste Facility can ONLY accept medications at the special one-day collection events due to US drug laws.