The Green Way to clear out your medicine cabinet

With spring on the mind, a lot of us have begun clearing out the old to make room for the new. We take bags of outgrown clothing to donation centers (or at least banish them to the trunks of our cars), list furniture on Nextdoor, shred all the last bits of our “I may need this someday” mail, but what on Earth are we supposed to do with the junk filling up our medicine cabinets?

 Instead of flushing unused prescription drugs into the Chesapeake Bay, consider offloading old meds at a Baltimore County drug dropbox. With ten locations conveniently located outside Baltimore County Police Precincts, you can dispose of unexpired prescription medications in a safe and environmentally-friendly fashion. Drug drop boxes are accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week, including holidays. 

 Before heading over to a local drop-off location, ensure that you meet acceptable deposit standards. Acceptable Deposits include medications that are expired or no longer needed, pills, capsules, and liquid medications in a container. Non-liquid forms of medication can be disposed in their container or a zip lock bag.

 Medical waste (needles, lancets, syringes, and razor blades), however, should be securely enclosed in a metal or plastic container and thrown in the regular trash, NOT in the drug drop boxes. Make sure that used needles are kept in puncture resistant containers before disposal, as they can be hazardous to sanitation workers. 

 In a time crunch? Try an alternative disposal method like this one, approved by the Food and Drug Administration:

        1.   Mix medications (liquids or uncrushed pills and tablets) with an unappealing substance such as dirt, cat litter, used coffee grounds, or sawdust.

        2.   Deposit the mixture in a sealed container such as a plastic bag.

        3.   Throw the sealed container into your home waste bin

        4.   Remove all personal information (name, address, etc.) on the prescription labels of empty medicine bottles and packaging, then dispose of the container.

 Whether you’re preparing for a move or simply prepping for spring cleaning, reorganizing your medicine cabinet is an easy way to begin decluttering your home and mind.