Walgreens has started a medicine take back program at select Walgreens in Illinois. If all goes well, they will be expanding the program to other states later this year. A full list of take-back locations and more details about the program can be found in their press release.
There are a variety of reasons to take advantage of such programs. One of the most important reasons, fighting drug abuse – a national public health and safety concern. Another reason is to prevent accidental contamination of the environment. Find out more information on how medicines and personal care products enter the environment, affect plants and animals, and potential solutions on ISTC’s website.
Many Illinois communities have already started take-back programs. Typically the drop boxes are located at police stations. Find a drop box in your community by visiting the Illinois EPA’s searchable map.
Don’t already have a medicine take-back program in your community? You can start your own local take-back program. Visit the Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant’s (IISG) website to learn more. IISG may have funding opportunities or could help procure funding assistance for your community.
Resources:
- Walgreens Launches Safe Medication Disposal Kiosk Program in Illinois (Walgreens Press Release August 8, 2016)
- Locate a Medicine Disposal Location in Illinois (Illinois EPA – Services Map)
- Setting up a Medicine Collection Event or Program (Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant)
CASI recently released a document discussing 2014 and 2015 publications related to sustainability (
Summer and Renovations are like two peas in a pod, birds of a feather, or peanut butter and jelly. They just seem to go together. Let’s take a look at a few sustainable options for home renovations.
Many people are now aware that they shouldn’t flush unwanted drugs down the toilet because those chemicals end up in waterways and pollute the environment. So what is the correct way to dispose of unwanted medicine?
The U.S. EPA recommends that unwanted drugs including prescriptions, over-the-counter, and pet medicines be disposed of though a one-day or permanent take-back program. These take-back programs are typically at local police stations or pharmacies. If and only if it is absolutely not feasible to take the unwanted drugs to a collection site, then the medicines should be mixed with kitty litter or coffee grounds, sealed in a water proof container, and placed in the trash. These safe disposal methods also reduce incidences of accidental poisonings in children, elderly, and pets and reduce drug abuse.
While the majority of drugs are taken by pill, some require injection which leaves behind needles and syringes, called sharps. Sharps have special disposal requirements because once they have touched a person’s blood they are then considered biohazardous materials and can be vectors for the spread of certain diseases. Because of this risk, sharps are not allowed in household recycling bins or in the take-back program bins or at household hazardous waste collection sites. Residents are allowed to place sharps in ridged plastic containers sealed with duct tape with the words “do not recycle” on the outside and then place the containers into the trash. But this method is not the safest for the environment or for landfill employees. The best method recommended by the U.S. EPA is to find a sharps collection site (typically at hospitals) or use a mail-back program.
Once the drugs and sharps are collected by their designated collectors, they are securely transported to a special medical incinerator that is designed to handle these types of waste streams with specialized equipment to prevent environmental pollution.
The charcoal vs. gas debate isn’t as clear cut as you might think. While it is fairly obvious that charcoal puts out more particulate matter when burning, it also gives off about two times more carbon dioxide emissions than propane gas. Initially then because of those points, I thought gas was more environmentally friendly, but let’s take a step back and look at the whole picture.
Buy local – Shopping at your local farmers’ market for fresh salad ingredients can significantly reduce your carbon footprint and also reduce the packaging that will end up in the landfill.
Even though metrics are not required for your Illinois Governor’s Sustainability Award application, it is still a very good idea to add them to your application. By adding metrics to your application, it allows for application evaluators to truly see the quantitative or qualitative impact that your organization, program or technology have achieved.
If your organization has done a lot in the name of sustainability – from projects that save money and resources to initiatives that strengthen the people and communities you work for – what are you waiting for? The Illinois Governor’s Sustainability Award provides a great opportunity for you to pull all of your sustainability work together into a single document: Your award application!