Is your medicine cabinet filled with expired drugs or medications you no longer use? How should you dispose of them?
Most drugs can be thrown in the household trash, but consumers should take certain precautions before tossing them out, according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
- Take the drugs out of the original packaging, mix with an undesirable substance such as used coffee grounds or kitty litter.
- Put them in a sealed bag, empty can, or other container to prevent the medication from leaking or breaking out of a garbage bag.
- A few specific drugs should be flushed down the toilet, but only if the labeling recommends it.
Shawnee County Recycling also hosts a monthly collection for Household Hazardous Waste including medicines. Check the current schedule and learn what else you shouldn’t place in your curbside garbage can.