Many of us will rely on prescription medication at some point in our lives. Prescription drugs help millions of people recover from illness, control pain and much more. But what happens to the medicines we no longer need or that have expired.
Disposing your prescription drugs in the most earth friendly manner is another way to do your part.
Don't flush any drugs down the toilet unless the drug label or patient information specifically instructs you to do so.
Most drugs can be thrown in the trash. But you should take certain precautions first.
- Take the drugs out of the container.
- Peel the label off the bottle to protect your personal information.
- Recycle the bottle if your local program takes that number plastic.
- Mix the drugs with something undesirable like kitty litter or coffee grounds. This way, the medication will appear less desirable to children and pets. - Put the drugs in a sealed bag and put it in the garbage can.
Disposing of unused medicines in the most environmentally friendly manner is just one more way that each one of us can do our part.