Proper Disposal of Unwanted Medications, 
Sharps, and Mercury

What does unwanted medication include?

• Expired medication 
• Drugs that didn’t work for you
• Drugs that are no longer used 
• Unknown tablets and capsules
• Medicine from deceased family members

Unwanted medication disposed in the trash can be stolen and misused, potentially resulting in death or illness. Drugs put in the trash and taken to a landfill can also leach into water supplies. 

Safely store all medicine!
Unsafe storage of medications presents a danger to children, guests, and pets that could accidentally ingest the drugs. Go through all your medicines (prescription and nonprescription) at least once a year. Check the expiration dates and look for medicine that is discolored, dried out, crumbling, or shows other signs of being degraded. Look for leftover medicines that you no longer need. After identifying the medicines you want to keep, store them in a convenient, but cool, dark, and dry location. (The bathroom cabinet is not a good storage place for most medicines, due to heat and humidity.) Always keep medicine in its original container. 

Child-resistant caps should be used if children live in your home or visit. Store all medicines out of sight and reach of children—in a locked cabinet or one with safety latches on it. A majority of medicine bottles used by seniors do not have child-resistant closures. As many as 20% of child poisonings involve a grandparent’s medication. Do not leave children unattended where they have access to medicine bottles. 

Put unwanted medicines in a safe place where you won’t confuse them with currently used medication and where others can’t get to them. Store them in their original container for the next unwanted medications collection. Never give medicines to another individual—it is dangerous!

Take unwanted medications to a special collection event.
The best way to dispose of unwanted medications is to safely store them until there is an unwanted medications collection. Collection events are free and convenient. Personal privacy is assured.

Safely store as follows:
Leave unwanted medications in their original container with the label intact. 
Do not open unwanted ampoules, vials, or IV bags.
Store in a locked cabinet or one with a child-resistant latch. Store out of sight and out of reach of children.

Needles hurt!
Improper disposal of needles, lancets, and syringes (“sharps”) injures hundreds of recycling, sanitation, and custodial workers each year. One out of every 20 people in the U.S. has diabetes and uses an average of two sharps each day. Home health care requiring the use of sharps is also on the rise for patients with chronic diseases, such as cancer. Proper disposal of sharps is important to prevent injury and disease transmission from needle-sticks. Never discard loose sharps in the trash or recycling bin, or leave needles and syringes where someone can be injured. Do not flush needles, syringes, or lancets down the toilet. 

Disposal of sharps is easy and free in Franklin County, Massachusetts. Sharps disposal containers are available through the Franklin County Solid Waste District. Call the District to find out how you can participate in this free sharps disposal program.

Always store sharps containers out of the reach of children.

Mercury-containing products
Mercury is highly toxic to human health and the environment and dangerous to have around the home. Your old mercury thermometer and blood pressure devices can be properly disposed of through the District at no charge. The District has free, non-mercury thermometers available for exchange. The District also has a brochure about mercury and its dangers. Call the District for more information or visit our website.