Learn how and why disposing of unused medication is important—and easy
by Thea Marie Rood
We have all had the experience: Maybe your spouse didn’t need the painkillers prescribed for recovery from surgery; maybe your teenager didn’t use all of his acne medication because of side effects; maybe your elderly grandparent passed away, leaving a shoe box filled with prescription drugs.
“It’s best to go through the proper disposal method where we know they are incinerated and there’s no possible way they can get in our water supply.”
Manuel Medrano, environmental services manager, City of Chula Vista
Where do you get rid of them safely?
And safely is the operative word here, because unwanted medications that are not disposed of properly can cause myriad serious public safety concerns.
For example, if unwanted medications stay in your medicine cabinet, they can fall into the hands of a child or teenager, who could accidentally overdose or begin an addiction. Criminals searching for drugs, especially opioids, may come into your house posing as a prospective homebuyer—or attempt a break-in.
If unwanted medications are thrown away in a garbage can, it is still possible that they may be illegally diverted. If drugs are flushed down a toilet or washed down the sink, they may end up in our landfills and waterways, harming wildlife and entering our drinking water.
Fortunately, there is an easy answer: Safe disposal drug take-back bins. These bins are safe and convenient disposal options for prescription and over-the-counter medications.
These convenient bins are a part of the California Statewide Drug Take-Back Program, which was funded by a $3 million grant from the Department of Health Care Services, and—specifically—its Medication Assisted Treatment program aimed at combating the opioid crisis. This is a prelude to the statewide bill, Senate Bill 212, which was signed into law by then-Gov. Jerry Brown on Sept. 30, 2018. SB 212 was a years-long effort by the California Product Stewardship Council and its authors, State Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson and Assemblymembers Phil Ting and Adam Gray. In fact, statistics from up and down the state show that medication bins can result in a significant reduction in opioid deaths when bins are put in place.
“The bins are very popular here and we have one in every quadrant of the city now,” says Manuel Medrano, Chula Vista’s environmental services manager. “The great benefit is not making these items available to the general public but not flushing them down the drain. It’s best to go through the proper disposal method where we know they are incinerated and there’s no possible way they can get in our water supply.”
Hosting a bin through this program is easy and free—installation, maintenance, disposal, and promotion. Bins can be placed in pharmacies, hospitals, and law enforcement agencies. People disposing of medications in these bins can also remain anonymous—no need to talk to anyone or answer any questions.
And best of all, the drugs are ultimately incinerated at a waste energy facility and converted to renewable energy, a complete win-win.
For more information, go to medtakebackcalifornia.org.
Read more stories about med bins in San Diego.
Brought to you by the California Drug Take-Back Program and the California Product Stewardship Council.
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The California Product Stewardship Council (CPSC) is a powerful network of local governments, non-government organizations, businesses, and individuals supporting policies and projects where producers share in the responsibility for managing problem products at their end of life.
CPSC is California’s thought leader and expert on Product Stewardship and the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) movement.
EPR enjoys the support of more than 26 million Californians. That’s nearly 70% of the state's population! Nearly 150 resolutions have been passed by California local jurisdictions and organizations supporting a more sustainable and toxic free environment through product stewardship. CPSC works closely with companies who have redesigned products for reuse as well as those who have established pilot or permanent collection programs with some sharing of costs with others in the product chain.
