Get rid of old medications; just don't flush them down the drain

DULUTH - It's a popular event that promotes human and environmental health simply by taking out the trash.

The Western Lake Superior Sanitary District's "Medicine Cabinet Clean–Out Day" gives residents a place to take unwanted or expired medications for safe disposal.

There was rarely a lull in traffic at the household hazardous waste facility on Friday.

The line of people waiting to dispose of unwanted medication was no surprise to WLSSD employees.

"People are always really excited to just get rid of this stuff. They didn't always know what to do with it," said Gina Temple-Rhodes, an environmental program director at WLSSD.

The last time WLSSD offered this service was in November.

More than 500 households brought in more than 800 pounds of unwanted drugs.

This week, Duluth residents with bags full of old medications were happy to get them off their hands.

"Our medicine cabinets hadn't been cleaned out in several years and I don't like to put that stuff into the garbage. The environment has got enough bad stuff in it already," said Clyde Erickson, a Duluth resdent was brought medications to the event.

And WLSSD was more than happy to take them.

"We know that if medications are flushed down the drain they are not always completely removed in the waste water treatment process," said Temple-Rhodes. "So this is a great environmentally safe way to make sure that the medications are properly handled."

The collected medications will be taken to a hazardous waste incinerator, which will destroy them without releasing any harmful emissions.

But that's not the only way to dump your pills.

If you couldn't make it to the event, there is one other way to dispose of medications safely.

Destroy the medications by mixing them with water, salt or kitty litter.

Seal the bottle tightly, using duct tape.

Put the bottle in a different container and throw it in the trash.

It's not just the environment that benefits when medication is disposed of safely.

"I had, personally, two or three bottles of pain killers and you wouldn't want anybody to get a hold of those either," said Erickson.

"If you don't need it anymore, just get rid of it," said Temple-Rhodes.

WLSSD can only accept medication during special event due to U.S. drug laws.

More information is available at:

http://www.pca.state.mn.us/oea/hhw/pharmaceuticals.cfm

www.wlssd.com/pollution_pharmaceutical.php