Safe Pharmaceutical Disposal Opportunities

Manitowoc County residents will have four opportunities in 2008 to dispose of their unwanted medications in a safe environmentally friendly manner. Unused medications present public health and safety concerns within the community. Unfortunately, wastewater treatment plants don’t remove one-hundred percent of the dissolved medications that come from local homes. Research has shown pharmaceutical chemicals are showing up in lakes and streams where they are beginning to harm fish populations.
This is largely due to the common practice of flushing them down the toilet. Throwing unwanted pharmaceuticals in the trash can be just as harmful. According to Jeff Beyer, Manitowoc County Director of Public Works, when garbage goes to the landfill, a “leachate” is formed; this liquid is collected and transported to the wastewater treatment plant.
Unused medications also present public health and safety concerns within the community. Oftentimes unused medications lay around the house for weeks or even years, according to Mark Anderson, Manitowoc County Metro Drug Unit Task Force Commander, this is often when medications are stolen from relatives and acquaintances. These stolen medications wind up on the illegal drug market where they are abused and have resulted in unintended poisonings as well as a number of overdoses in our community.
Do your part to help keep our community and environment free of unwanted drugs by participating in one of the Manitowoc County Drug Disposal Programs. Scheduled drug disposal collections are:
April 19, 2008 in conjunction with the Earth Day Event at the UW Manitowoc Campus, 705 Viebahn Street, Manitowoc from 9am-2pm
May 16, 2008 in conjunction with the Clean Sweep in Kiel at the Kiel City Garage, 705 Washington Street, Kiel from 3pm-6pm
August 7, 2008 in conjunction with Community Care Days in Two Rivers at the JE Hamilton Community House, times to be announced.
October 25, 2008 in conjunction with Crime Prevention Days at the Manitowoc County Expo Grounds, times to be announced.

Acceptable Items
□ Prescription medications
□ Over-the-counter drugs
□ Controlled substances
□ Illegal drugs

Guidelines
□ Needles and sharps will not be accepted.
□ Please keep items in their original containers.
□ Please do not mix medications in the same container.
□ No Businesses
□ You may block out personal information on the drug container, but please keep the drug name visible.

If you have any questions, please call the Manitowoc County Recycling Center at 683-4333..