Disposing of Prescription Drugs

I get this question from time to time:

How do I dispose of unused prescription medications — can they be recycled?

Final answer (for now): they’re absolutely not recyclable in NJ.  According to “Mr. Green” in the July/August ‘09 Sierra Magazine, here’s what to do, and it isn’t pretty.

1.  Using the medicine original container, black out the patient’s name.

2.  Add a little water, alt, vinegar, etc. to discourage anyone else who finds the stuff from using it.

3.  Wrap the container in strong tape – seal it up good.

4.   Stick the sealed container in a bag you cannot see through, seal the bag,  and drop it in your trash.

Yes, that’s right.  You disable the stuff, make it invisible, and throw it in your garbage.  Doesn’t sound like sustainability to me, either, but with no “recycle” option available, we want to a) keep the drugs away from other people, and b) make sure they don’t leach from the landfill into the water system.

Otherwise, stay healthy, live longer, need fewer drugs.

Ralph