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logo
  • About SCARCE
    • Mission
    • How YOU Help SCARCE
    • How SCARCE Helps YOU
    • Staff
    • Hours & Location
    • Newsletters
    • In the News/Media
  • Reuse & Recycle
  • Initiatives
    • Legislation
    • #PickUp5 Litter Clean-up
    • Solar Energy
    • Storm Drain Medallions
    • Bread Tag Recycling
    • Literacy at the Laundromat
  • Education
    • eLearning
    • Events
    • Classes
    • Programs
  • Blog
    • Earth Chats Podcast
  • Contact
    • Hours & Location
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  • Reuse & Recycle

    Reuse & Recycle Resources

    • Items Accepted At SCARCE
    • Reuse Center
    • Super Crayons
    • SCARCE-LY USED Books & Records

    Offsite Reuse & Recycle

    • Recycling Events
    • Electronics Recycling
    • Household Hazardous Waste
    • Medicine Disposal
    • Paint Recycling
    • Cooking Oil Recycling
    • Smoke Detectors
    • Pumpkin Smash

    Informational PDF Downloads

  • Recycling Info Sheets
    • Curbside Recycling Guide
    • Electronics Recycling – DuPage County
    • Hazardous Waste Drop-Off
  • Spanish Recycling Info
    • Curbside Recycling Guide (Spanish)
    • Hazardous Waste Drop-off (Spanish)
  • About SCARCE Brochure
  • DIY: Outdoor Compost Bin Instructions
  • Contact Information

    SCARCE

    800 S. Rohlwing Rd. (Rt. 53)
    Unit D
    Addison, IL 60101

    info@scarce.org

    630-545-9710

    Medicine Disposal

    National Prescription Drug Takeback Day is October 29, 2022.  See here for details.

    Note: Medicine Disposal is not available at SCARCE. Please see list below for locations.


    How Do I Dispose of Old or Unwanted Medicine?

    Fish Pharm, shows concentrations of medicine found in fish from the north branch of the Chicago River. Source: National Geographic Magazine, April 2010

    Don’t Rush to Flush!

    Evidence shows that flushing medicines down the toilet pollutes our waterways, including those we use for drinking water. “Don’t rush to flush!” is the new mantra.

    To protect water quality and public safety, medicines should be taken for disposal at a verified collection site. Learn more about the importance of safe medicine disposal here.

    What happens to the medicine?

    Collected medicine is incinerated. This process destroys the active ingredients. Though not ideal for air quality, it is the best option currently available.


    How to dispose of medicine

    Medicine that is no longer needed can be disposed of at a number of locations in DuPage County. You may find a full list below.

    Empty all the pills into a ziplock bag. Liquid medicine should stay in the original container and be enclosed in a separate ziploc bag. Empty bottles or containers can be disposed of separately (and may be recyclable). Collection sites have limited space and need to prioritize disposal of medicines – not packaging.

    Accepted Items

    • Prescription & Over-the-Counter Medications
    • Medicated Ointments
    • Liquid Medications
    • Prescription & Over-the-Counter Inhalers
    • Pet medicines
    • Only residentially-generated medication items

    Items Not Accepted

    sharps/needles, mercury thermometers, bio-hazardous materials (wound dressings), radioactive medicines, other household wastes, medical wastes from businesses


    Police Stations with Collections

    This list of DuPage County police stations changes frequently as the program expands. Be sure to check with your local station to find out if they have a collection.

    • Addison
    • Bensenville
    • Bloomingdale
    • Burr Ridge
    • Carol Stream
    • Clarendon Hills
    • DuPage County Sheriff
    • Elk Grove Village
    • Elmhurst
    • Glen Ellyn
    • Glendale Heights
    • Hanover Park
    • Itasca
    • Lemont
    • Lisle
    • Roselle
    • Naperville (M-F 7a-8p, Sat 10a-6p, except holidays)
    • Schaumburg
    • Warrenville
    • West Chicago
    • Wood Dale
    • Woodridge (M-F 8am-4:30pm)

    Other Medicine Collection Sites

    Naperville Household Hazardous Waste Site

    156 Fort Hill Dr
    Weekends only. 9 AM - 2 PM (Excluding holidays)

    Naperville Fire Stations

    All ten stations have 24/7 drop off containers

    Walgreens Aurora

    1221 N. Lake St

    Walgreens Downers Grove

    1000 Ogden Ave

    Walgreens Glen Ellyn

    324 Roosevelt Rd

    Walgreens Hanover Park

    7350 Barrington Rd

    Walgreens Naperville

    63 W 87th Street

    Walgreens Villa Park

    200 E. Roosevelt Rd

    Douglas Main Pharmacy

    5207 Main Street, Downers Grove

    Elmhurst Hospital - Door 28

    155 E. Brush Hill Road, Elmhurst

    Edward Hospital - South Lobby

    801 S. Washington St, Naperville

    Medicine collection programs in DuPage County were started by SCARCE with support from the DuPage Foundation.

    Download the Eco-Cheat Sheet for a hard copy of this info as well as SCARCE collections, cooking oil recycling locations, and household hazardous waste disposal.

     


    Calendar

    View all of our upcoming activities on our calendar.

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    Read About SCARCE's Recycling Initiatives

    Learn About SCARCE’s Recycling Programs, Tips, Tricks and More!

    ABC's

    N : All About Non-Ferrous Metals

    Feb 01 2023

    ABC's

    Letter M is for ‘MRF’ Materials Recovery Facility

    Dec 31 2022

    ABC's

    ABC’s of Smart Recycling – Green Living 2023 (M-Z)

    Dec 30 2022

    Are You Ready To Do Your Part?

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