The proper way to dispose of old drugs
SEATTLE -- For years, we've been told to flush away those old drugs.
That seemed a lot safer than throwing them in to the trash. This way, they couldn't be found by kids and they wouldn't go to the landfill.
But it turns out that was not a good idea.
Sewage treatment plants weren't designed to catch hormones, narcotics or antibiotics diluted in the water.
"Flushing medications could result in those getting into the water supply and ending up in our lakes and streams," said King County Eco-Consumer Tom Watson.
The right way to recycle those old meds is to take them to a secure collection site. We found one at the Bartell Drugstore on upper Queen Anne.
Pharmacists reviewed the old pills I had to make sure they could actually take them back. There are some controlled substances they're not yet allowed to take back.
Once approved, the pharmacist asked me to deposit them in what looked like a mail slot.
The collection boxes are doubled locked; it takes two store employees to get inside. Everything winds up at a hazardous waste incinerator.
"High-temperature incineration, and that's the standard way pharmaceuticals are disposed of," said Cheri Grasso of King County Hazardous Waste Management. "That's how pharmaceutical manufacturers dispose of their medicines."
You'll find these collection boxes at some Bartell stores in King, Pierce and Snohomish counties. Group Health will also take back your old drugs.
This recycling program hasn't gotten much publicity. Even so, people have dropped off thousands of pounds of drugs this year.
The fed says if it's a powerful narcotic like as OxyContin, Demerol, Percocet or Percodan - something drug addicts want - flush it down the toilet.
Local waste management people suggest you take it out of the container and mix it with something unpleasant like old coffee grounds, ashes, kitty litter, then put it in a waterproof container and put it in the trash.
In certain places, you can take unwanted narcotics to police stations with secure drop boxes. These programs are currently in place at police departments in Issaquah, Fife, Sammamish, Snohomish County, Clark County, Sequim and Longview.
For more information:
Unwanted Medicine Return Program
That seemed a lot safer than throwing them in to the trash. This way, they couldn't be found by kids and they wouldn't go to the landfill.
But it turns out that was not a good idea.
Sewage treatment plants weren't designed to catch hormones, narcotics or antibiotics diluted in the water.
"Flushing medications could result in those getting into the water supply and ending up in our lakes and streams," said King County Eco-Consumer Tom Watson.
The right way to recycle those old meds is to take them to a secure collection site. We found one at the Bartell Drugstore on upper Queen Anne.
Pharmacists reviewed the old pills I had to make sure they could actually take them back. There are some controlled substances they're not yet allowed to take back.
Once approved, the pharmacist asked me to deposit them in what looked like a mail slot.
The collection boxes are doubled locked; it takes two store employees to get inside. Everything winds up at a hazardous waste incinerator.
"High-temperature incineration, and that's the standard way pharmaceuticals are disposed of," said Cheri Grasso of King County Hazardous Waste Management. "That's how pharmaceutical manufacturers dispose of their medicines."
You'll find these collection boxes at some Bartell stores in King, Pierce and Snohomish counties. Group Health will also take back your old drugs.
This recycling program hasn't gotten much publicity. Even so, people have dropped off thousands of pounds of drugs this year.
The fed says if it's a powerful narcotic like as OxyContin, Demerol, Percocet or Percodan - something drug addicts want - flush it down the toilet.
Local waste management people suggest you take it out of the container and mix it with something unpleasant like old coffee grounds, ashes, kitty litter, then put it in a waterproof container and put it in the trash.
In certain places, you can take unwanted narcotics to police stations with secure drop boxes. These programs are currently in place at police departments in Issaquah, Fife, Sammamish, Snohomish County, Clark County, Sequim and Longview.
For more information:
Unwanted Medicine Return Program