It is a good feeling, is it not, to clear up and clean out?
There were the unused, unfinished, expired prescription drugs, vitamins, and cough medicine bottles with a half a dosage left that have been clogging the medicine cabinets. Not one to flush pills down the toilet or toss them into the trash, for we now all realize the personal and environmental dangers these actions can bring, I have kept vials of medicine for some time, not knowing quite where to bring them or how to destroy them. When I saw a notice of an upcoming National Drug Take Back Day, I marked my calendar and started to fill a basket of unused/unfinished prescriptions. On Saturday morning, I drove to the local police station where I was greeted by a friendly officer of the law. I was directed to designated containers where I disposed of my cache. It is my understanding that collected drugs are incinerated at high temperatures in a secure container.
At the same time, a recycling event was underway at nearby Fullersburg Woods, whose paths I have roamed and whose grist mill I have visited. Here on the Cutoff, we recycle our everyday goods and take items no longer needed to various local charity shops, but, no one will take old televisions sets. Our time to dispose them was at hand, so, while I was depositing prescription drugs, my dear husband was depositing old television sets, along with many other cars laden with items they just didn’t know what to do with. It was a well organized endeavor, with cars being directed to specific areas for specific items.
Back home, I raked up the leaves that were never cleared out last Fall and had fallen in the back flower beds. Tom mowed and mulched over the leaves, creating more earthy fodder for our compost piles. The front islands are next; chores for another day. All-in-all, it felt good to have cleared up and cleaned out, though my joints are aching a bit and I’m keeping a close eye on the exposed bed, for the deer, they do wander at night.
Do you have prescription drug recycling/take back/disposal programs in your neck of the woods?
Image source at www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/drug_disposal/takeback/
Penny, it’s so satisfying to clear out unwanted things from the back of the cupboard. TV sets and old prescription drugs do pose a problem of disposal, and also batteries. Our Auckland Council has just sent out a questionnaire about battery disposal. It’s great that you were able to recycle the drugs, though I smiled when I saw that they had to go to the police station. Did you feel a little bit criminal, I wonder?
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It was an odd feeling entering the police station with not one, but, two bags full, Juliet, and I was the only one in there, besides the officer (who was very nice). Here, a whole week’s worth of pills is often prescribed for something like a root canal when all one might need is one pill. So . . . the cupboards are free of expired medications and the televisions are off to better pastures.
Batteries are a problem. I wish I’d remembered that for the recycling event. One of the libraries nearby used to take them. I think a separate organization disposed of them, however, they no longer do so. I would be interested in what the questionnaire leads to there.
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I never even THOUGHT about the ramifications of throwing expired drugs in the trash, Penny. Thank you so much for making me think about it. We’re horrible about getting the huge vats at Costco, taking 1/10 of them, and ending up with the rest expired.
I’m going to look around and see whether we have a place to take expired drugs. Thank you.
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I’m so glad that this brought the issue of expired drug disposal to your attention, Andra. I shutter when I think of all the medications, vitamins, cough syrup we used to dump in the toilet or throw in the trash in the past. This all goes into our water systems, our soil, and has the potential of a horrific impact on our lives.
My link feature isn’t working, for some odd reason, internet pollution?, so, can’t do a direct link, but, if you google National Drug Take Back Day, there will be a link to see where drugs are accepted in your zip code, or, at least, give you a starting point. Good luck – and thank you.
PS Hope the weather has passed you by and everyone is safe. Tupelo was on the news today, a nick in the road of your Trace trek.
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What a great thing for the community to know where to dispose of all that stuff that seems to multiply before it goes out of date. In our small town all we can do with drugs is take them to the pharmacy. I have to take my expired EpiPen there on my next trip. We barely have regular garbage pick-up and recycling has not become a priority nor has the issue of littering. Maybe someday. Nevada had a fantastic system for recycling.
Another round of tornadoes coming this evening so while we dodged the last bullet we have one more to go. The fantastic, superb, much appreciated and worth every penny generator, came on during the power outages without a blip. I LOVE IT ALMOST AS MUCH AS THE AC! We are so very thankful for it and the peace of mind it affords.
So keep your fingers crossed for us for good luck for a while longer.
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How did you do with last night/this morning’s weather, Marilyn? I’ve been thinking about you, hoping for the best. It is amazing the machinery we come to appreciate when we’ve experienced such storms. A generator is on our list of needs as soon as we can swing it.
The take back program is a great community effort. I was not aware of it until just a week or so ago, seeing it on a newsletter. I’m in a more urban area, so, there were quite a few choices, and I was so relieved to dispose of what we had here. Pharmacies here in Illinois won’t take drugs, syringes, or anything opened or expired. Interesting how each state is different. I think the important thing is that we all try our best to be good stewards of the earth.
Stay safe.
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Cleaning up and clearing out….it’s a good thing. 🙂 Over my adult lifetime, I’ve moved more times than I want to count, so “stuff” doesn’t accumulate too long with me. Our local recycling location has a small box for battery disposal (at least the smaller ones) so we DO have an option for those, and such things as cardboard and certain plastics. Whatever any of us can do to lessen the footprints we leave behind has got to be a good thing,
I have never heard of the National Drug Take Back Day; possibly because we aren’t in a larger metropolitan area? I believe there is (or used to be) an organization that accepted “leftover” prescription drugs for use in economically disadvantaged parts of the world. I tried to locate them, but could not, when our mother passed away. She took many prescription meds and there were lots on hand to be cleared out. We were advised to thoroughly mix all of them into something “gritty” such as kitty litter or ashes, rather than tossing them “whole.” In hindsight, I think that would merely lessen their appeal to anyone who might have sorted them out of the trash, but probably not fully keep them out of any “runoff” from the landfill. 😦
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Best practice, indeed, Karen, to lighten our loads. We moved from a smaller house of 30 some years to a larger one. Not a good thing as we took way too much with us.
I wish we had a good battery recycling location. As I mentioned above to Juliet, we used to be able to drop batteries at a library box, but, no longer can. Our community does have a recycling program for cardboard, plastics, cans, but, not batteries or televisions, which are near to impossible to get rid of. No one wants those big clunkers, even if they still work. You are so right, Karen, whatever each of us can do is a good thing.
You might want to check the National Take Back site and see if there is a location near you to remember for next year. Mixing and grinding the pills was better than just tossing as they were. It is surprising what folks will take if desperate – and you had the foresight to ask what to do.
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Dear Penny, I’m not sure about the Prescription Recycling here. It surely is a good idea as, like you, I have a number of plastic bottles with pills in them that have expired. I’ll start watching for some notification of that kind of recycling.
Penny, I’ve forgotten the name of the author who wrote that outstanding and unforgettable book about the two women during World War II–the aviator and the spy. There’s a second book in the series, but I don’t know its title and because I also don’t know the author’s name, I can’t look for it at the library. Help!!!! Peace.
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Those plastic bottles of prescription drugs can certainly accumulate, Dee. I had some from several year’s back, not knowing what to do with them. You might want to check out the site I list above (wordpress won’t let me link for some reason lately). You can put in your zip code and it will show you places to bring them, usually a police station. It might be too late for this year, but, you can use as a reference in 2015.
The book I believe you are referencing is “Code Name Verity” by Elizabeth Wein. I can’t remember the name of the second book, which I understand is equally as good, and wish I had picked it up when I first saw it. At least you have the author, so, I’m sure your library can take it from there. Good luck.
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Dear Penny, that is the book. It is one of the best books I read in 2013. So now I’ll get my name on the library listing for that second book. Thank you. Peace.
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You’re welcome, Dee. I hope your library has the book for you soon.
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We took a tour of the county recycling facility here earlier this season — there is a special place for the electronics and once a month they accept drugs. Coming from Oregon where recycling is practically in our DNA, we were prepared to feel superior, but were quite pleasantly surprised to find out that the whole plant here is state-of-the-art.
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Oregon has always been on the cusp of responsible living, hasn’t it, Sallie? Long ago, when we were young and dreamy, Tom and I saw an article in some magazine about a town in Oregon, I want to say Sun City, that was developed so that no one needed cars, everything was accessible and sustainable, homes built with nature in mind – and we waxed poetically of someday moving there. Life got in the way, but, we often remember it. I’m sure recycling is in your DNA, though happy that you were pleasantly surprised. It is the electronics and drugs that had us perplexed, so, were happy to learn of a place to take them. I think that there are more alternatives around here, it is just taking them time to find them.
I think our grands, and already your great-grands, will be even more responsible stewards of this earth than many of us has been.
That tour must have been interesting.
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Our community regularly has a drug take back day and we take them to the local police station as well. About once a year some school organization sponsors an electronics recycling day. They are gathered and taken to another town. No glass or plastic recycling locally though paper is collected every six weeks or so and can take aluminum cans to a scrap metal depot. We need to do that one of these days soon. Sounds like you have made a great deal of headway in yard. It’s been rainy and chilly here the last few days but we did miss out on severe storms.
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I should pay more attention to what they schools here are doing. Your comment is a good reminder, Joyce. Your community certainly has a lot of options for recycling. I am glad to hear of how everyone’s community is working through these “earth” issues. We have made a dent, though still need to do much in the front, but, have had rain and cold as well. The yard is like a sponge to walk on, but, we have also missed out on the more severe weather. Lots of thunder and lightening though, which will be good for growth. Stay safe, Joyce, and thanks for sharing.
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I did participate, Penny! At our local police station they set up a drive up procedure, so it was really easy. I had taken our old prescription drugs at the last roundup, but this time my mom asked me if I would take theirs. They had two very large bags, and I admit I was a little uneasy. I wondered if they thought I was some kind of dealer or something. It was really a lot. But I think this program is so excellent and it feels so good to get these unused drugs out of the house and to not be tempted to throw them out and pollute in the doing! I’ve been on a cleaning out binge lately…it does feel good! 🙂
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I understand that uneasiness, Debra, for I had two big bags as well. The older we get, I’m sure the more prescription drugs start to accumulate. I’d just read an article about how older medications can be dangerous not only for the fact that they are drugs and can become more potent and poisonous but the increased danger of having them around small children. Grandchildren certainly make me think even harder about life. How convenient that you could just drive up.
Here’s to more cleaning out!
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I’m doing a bit of a catch-up today after my busy week, Penny, so have only just got to this. The UK has a very well-developed and nationwide system of recycling centres run by local authorities, to which one can take old household equipment, unwanted furniture, batteries and other dangerous items, as well as paper, cardboard, tins and glass. These last four categories are also taken away from most households weekly or fortnightly in kerbside collections, along with general household rubbish. These services are free and local authorities also run a garden refuse collection scheme for those without space for a compost heap, though there is usually a charge for this.
Prescription drugs can be taken back at any time to any pharmacy, since all pharmacies have a statutory duty to receive and dispose of these things safely.
Despite all these easily-accessible services, there’s still something of a problem with fly-tipping of rubbish, often in the countryside, which then of course has to be cleared up. 😦
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I have been so impressed and enlightened to see what others are doing in these pursuits of making our world a better place, Perpetua. You good folks in the UK are far beyond what we do here in the States, especially Illinois, and I am dutifully impressed. Right now, the City of Chicago is trying to implement a paper bags only policy (no plastic) – and you should hear the uproar! Hope you are enjoying some time now that your busy week is over. I love hearing from you anytime!
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Over here you can just take any unused pills etc. to any pharmacy/chemist and they will dispose of them for you. I believe they send them to one large company who disposes of them all properly. I saw above in another comment that they do that in the UK. I wonder why it hasn’t been implemented in the US?
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I wonder as well. I suspect the never-ending legal issues have something to do with it. Still, having this opportunity was a start in the right direction. I did just notice a week or so ago that one of cities in the area now has a 24/7 drop box in the police station, so, more efforts are underway and I think the near future will present many more opportunities.
Thank you for commenting. Love to hear from you. Penny
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Definitely! And that’s great to hear that more efforts are underway.
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