If you have unused or expired prescription medicine taking up space in your bathroom cabinet, don’t pour them down the drain or flush them.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, “Some medicines, vitamins and other supplements poured down the drain or flushed down the toilet may pass through wastewater treatment plants. They may enter lakes, rivers and streams which are often used as sources for community drinking water supplies. Water treatment plants are generally not equipped to routinely remove medicines and supplements.”
This Saturday, Sept. 1, from 8 a.m. to noon, the Tucson/Pima County Household Hazardous Waste Program and the Pima County Sheriff’s Department are sponsoring a medicine collection event at Eastside City Hall, 7575 E. Speedway Blvd. There’s no charge to drop off materials. You can also drop off paint and other household chemicals. More info below:
In addition to old medications, you may also bring paint or other household chemicals for collection. Accepted materials include: automotive fluids, auto and rechargeable batteries from electronics equipment, toxic cleaning products, fluorescent lamps, paints, solvents, lawn and garden products, and computer equipment. The program only accepts materials generated in homes—no commercially generated materials are accepted. More information is available on-line here or by calling ES Customer Service at 791-3171.
This article appears in Aug 30 – Sep 5, 2012.
Yes, but why would Americans flush down the toilet or pour down the drain their medicines, vitamins and other supplements? Hmmm…
Red, you must be very healthy and fortunate to never have had a Dr change prescriptions on you a dozen times or had to empty the medicine cabinet of someone who passed away leaving behind a medicine cabinet full of same… and not everyone just keeps taking meds til the bottle is empty even though they no longer need them or if the Dr discontinues them because of side effects, a few days into a months worth of meds… you can’t take em back for a refund.
Well, yes of course Bootski (08/31/2012 at 2:08 PM), but why with the toilet or the other drains? That’s what Red Star isn’t getting…
Well Red… In that context I’d say convenience, perhaps habit as well, considering that for years there was only the trash or the toilet for disposal (been there done that.) Back then down the toilet also made sure kids and pets couldn’t fish it out of the trash.
So what do we do of we got this information about the collection on Sept. 1st on Sept 4 th?!
send em to me!
@Donna Sutton. I feel the same way. I have often wondered why these stories are a day or more late. Lots of times I have wanted to check out an eats joint that was having a special or something like that, only to find out the story was from yesterday. Frustrating to say the least.
I agree with you, Donna. The Range email got to me on Monday, September third. I have a bunch of old meds I need to get rid of, and I would have liked to have been able to know about this collection ahead of time, not two days afterward. As it is, it’s worthless information.
Folks, The Range newsletter is a Monday through Friday thing. Each email compiles all of the items posted since the last newsletter–so the Monday newsletter includes everything posted Friday, Saturday and Sunday. This was live, online, on Friday the 31st. If everyone would like us to change the newsletter to a seven-day-a-week thing, we’d be happy to. Thoughts?